Someone Special
by TJMcQueen
Summary: Awkward, adorable Maura meets comfortable with her sexuality Jane, and Jane likey. Colleagues, then something else. Rating change to M.
1. Chapter 1

This week was three days longer than it should have been. My first weekend off in over a month just wasn't meant to be. We caught a case Friday evening, and that case lasted all weekend. So now its Monday and Korsak, Frost and I are beat. Chased down a perp, caught the bastard, and none of us got hurt. He wasn't fast, and Frost got him by the shoulders before he got too far. The suspect didn't confess, but there was enough evidence to hold him on the charges. Dummy didn't ditch the gun, and was busted while on a shopping spree with the victim's credit card. Am I getting old or are these guy's just dense? A little bit from column A, a little bit from column B. The perp didn't put up a fight in interrogation. He had the decency to ask for his lawyer upfront instead of letting us waste time trying to get a confession that wasn't coming. He's the DA's problem now, and all Frost and I had for the remainder of the day was paperwork. I didn't even break a sweat. 

Something about this case bothered me. I mean they all do, but this one just seemed too simple. Our victim didn't leave behind a family, he was a young professional. No wife, no kids, not even a pet. Just a somewhat messy bachelor pad, a sedan, and briefcase full of work the guy was taking home with him. Two full days went by without identifying him, no missing persons report matching his description. Dr. Isles, the new Medical Examiner did a thorough autopsy. There wasn't a fight, nothing interesting on his clothes or under his fingernails, nothing. The chump who robbed him might not have even said anything. Of course Dr. Isles said there's no way to prove or disprove that, but my gut says this was a blitz attack. No warning, no "give me your wallet," nothing. Just a shot to the belly.

"A small caliber bullet through the transverse colon and pancreas. Victim likely shifted his body in response to the sound of the assailant approaching, which resulted in the projectile severing the hepatic artery. Victim bled profusely from the injury and expired on scene no more than 2 hours from the time of the incident. The body was not disturbed or moved, and was discovered in the position the victim died in."

I think the new ME hates us. Or she hates me, or she hates detectives in her morgue. I'm still not totally sure if she was even looking at me. I mean she was looking in the general direction of my face, but she didn't really hold eye contact. I think she was looking at the spot between my eyes more than anything. She was totally clinical when she was talking about our vic, and she looked at me like I was crazy when I appeared in the doorway of the morgue. Then she started speaking Latin or Greek or something. I must have looked confused because she dismissed me with, "nothing remarkable found on autopsy. Our John Doe died of wounds that occurred during the robbery. It is indeed a homicide. My report will be filed by close of business. Excuse me while I close the Y incision." She didn't notice that I watched her from outside. She doesn't know that I saw her gloved hand stoke through his hair, like she was comforting him. She doesn't know that I saw the sorrow on her face.

I hadn't seen Dr. Isles in the two days since she performed the autopsy on Franklin Roberts. We learned his name when we caught our perp today with a pocket full of credit cards that belonged to our vic. We won't know for sure until our suspect talks, but it looks like a straight up random mugging and murder. He even started his weekend spree near the scene of the shooting. Bastard treated himself to breakfast at a diner 3 blocks from where he shot Mr. Roberts. He was eating steak and eggs while our vic bled out.

Mr. Roberts wasn't reported missing for two days, being single and and not having a very active social life, so his cards were still ripe for the picking all weekend. Luckily for us Mr. Franklin had a coworker who thought to call BPD when he didn't show for work this morning. She was right, the body she heard about was Franklin, and nobody noticed his absence all weekend because he usually stayed home and worked instead of going out with friends or spending time with family. Poor guy. Frost and I went to his studio apartment. We didn't see many personal items, no mementos or knick knacks. Just a few pictures on a cluttered desk, a messy couch that was obviously slept on, a coffee table with empty beer bottles on it, a TV, and a neatly made bed on the opposite wall. I guess Mr. Roberts crashed on his sofa after working all day, and then woke up to work some more.

Even though I think she might not like me I knew that Dr. Isles would want to know that we identified our victim. I saw that look. I knew she would appreciate knowing his name. She's kind of strange but she's nothing if not professional, and professionals in law enforcement want to know names.

"Hey Doc, you got a minute?"

"Yes, Detective. How can I help you?"

"Just wanted to let you know that we identified our John Doe from the other day. Franklin Roberts, 33.

He was single, no family nearby, so nobody missed him until he didn't show up for work this morning."

"Oh dear. That is unfortunate. Thank you for informing me." Her voice wavered, and then the professional coldness returned. " At least he has a name now. I will amend my file with his vital information upon receipt of that data from you." She dismissed me again, and turned toward her desk, telling me without words that the conversation was over.

"Allllright... I'll get that to you ASAP." I lingered for a few seconds waiting for Dr. Isles to look up from her computer. She didn't spare me another glance, so I left.

"So I sat at my desk, finishing up the paperwork related to Mr. Roberts's murder, and I couldn't shake how cold Dr. Isles seemed to be. The brief glimmers of emotion I observed are making me flustered. I haven't been able to get a handle on her yet. Its been a few weeks and all I've been able to get from the ME is that she's wicked smart, stylish, and completely professional. She dresses like a model to deal with rude cops and cut into dead bodies, and she does it with decorum and a polite smile. But she's intentionally closed off, and detached. And she's fucking gorgeous and has a body that's something else. Between the leftover adrenalin from the short chase earlier, and the frustration that seems to follow every interaction with Dr. Isles, I have some energy I need to burn off. I forwarded my report to the ME and set off for the BPD gym.

* * *

I changed into the gear I keep in my locker and grabbed my hand wraps before heading straight for the heavy bag. Daniels from Vice was slugging away at the heavy bag, and another guy whose name I forget was on the speed bag. Goddamn it. So I decided on the treadmill until the meatheads cleared out and put my headphones on. I guess I lost track of time because 7 miles later I looked up and the gym was empty. When did it get so late? It was nearly 9pm and everyone seemed to be gone. That meant that the heavy bag was all mine! I wrapped my hands and got into a rhythm on the bag, one-two, and then one-two-three. Jab, jab, straight left. After a few minutes I started beating the shit outta that heavy bag. I was already warmed up but running on the treadmill didn't give me the release I needed. I thought about the direction my life was headed. I have family that's close and would miss me within hours of a disappearance. Between my constantly hovering mother and totally dedicated kid brother there's no way I could go missing for two whole days. Not to mention Korsak and Frost, who would give me a bit more time to myself, until a case called all three of us to some gruesome scene. But Franklin's apartment felt familiar; empty beer bottles, files from work, no significant other, messy. My place looks just as slept and worked in as his. And only a little bit more lived in. I felt unpleasant emotions gathering momentum and punched the heavy bag with more force and a faster cadence. I didn't hear anyone enter the gym. Didn't notice anyone coming toward me.

"Detective Rizzoli!"

"I jumped, shocked. Who the hell is screaming? "Shit. Dr. Isles. You really shouldn't sneak up on people who are beating up punching bags. I coulda hit you!"

"I-I didn't mean to sneak up on you, Detective. I w-was hoping to speak with you before you left for the day and was told that I could find you here. I'm sorry. I'll leave you to your workout." She stuttered. She seemed like she didn't know how to approach me. She looked nervous, and it was so damn cute.

"No, doc, you're fine. You just surprised me. What did you want to talk about?" I was breathing hard, and my hair was a mess, moreso than usual. She must have thought I looked terrible. Who told her I was in here?

"I think I should apologize for my behavior. I didn't mean to be rude to you, Detective. Please forgive any transgressions or offenses on my behalf. I think that as women in a male dominated field we should attempt to coexist in the workplace, even perhaps as a united front in the face of chauvinistic colleagues. I must seem a bit odd to a woman like you. I know many of your fellow officers and detectives think that I am rather cold and strange and I see that you are not only dedicated but also well liked and respected amongst your peers, and I want you to know that I likewise respect you." She rambled. She was flustered, and talking fast, and it was adorable.

"Whoa, Doc. You're alright with me." I smiled to show her that I'm being honest. She was a bit odd, but I think its because she's so damn smart. "Its ok, Dr. Isles. Its-"

"Maura. Please, my first name is Maura. We needn't be so formal. It is after hours, we aren't working right now." She smiled back at me.

"You gotta call me Jane then, Maura." I smiled again. Then her smile seemed to widen just a bit. And her eyes softened a little. "You wanna get a drink, Maura? I could use a drink."

"We sat at a booth at the Dirty Robber. There were only two wine selections on the menu; red or white. She, Maura, ordered the red. I ordered a beer. It was a Monday night so the bar was kinda slow, but I didn't really want to go home. Maura took a sip of the generic red wine and tried to keep a straight face while she choked it down. I stifled a chuckle and asked her if she'd ever been to a place like this.

"I can't say that I have, but there was a little bistro in France that I used to frequent that was a bit like this bar. The menu was very different, but the atmosphere was similar. That bistro, however, had excellent wine." She smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back at her. Then her mood seemed to shift.

"Did your suspect implicate himself in Mr. Roberts's murder?" she asked.

"No, he didn't. Didn't say anything actually. He didn't seem to care that we apprehended him with Franklin's credit cards on him. He even had the gun in his car." I said, shaking my head.

"Yes I read that in your report… I'm sorry about how I spoke to you in my office. I didn't mean to be short with you, I'm just not adept at social interaction. I generally like to keep conversations to a minimum in order to avoid instances of miscommunication." She looked down and rotated the ring she wore when she said that.

"I get it, Maura. But it doesn't have to be like that. We're talking now, its been a few minutes of conversation. I understand what you're saying. We haven't miscommunicated yet, and if we do we'll clarify before moving on with the conversation. Okay?"

She smiled again, and this one was genuine. Her genuine smile reached her eyes and made them shine. Her entire face looked different when she smiled like that. What did I have to do to see it again?

"Det… Jane, sorry. Jane, when was the last time you slept?" She stopped smiling. "Dark circles under the eyes, somewhat gaunt appearance. What did you eat today?"

"I…" I couldn't lie to her. Her eye's wouldn't let me. They're green and gold and wide, and were trapping me. "I honestly haven't slept much since last Thursday. I was looking forward to catching up on sleep over the weekend, but we caught the Roberts case on Friday evening. And we worked it all weekend. and then we got our perp today. So yeah…"

She squinted at me, almost as if she were deciding how much grief she felt comfortable giving me about my lack of sleep.

"Where do you live?" She asked me.

"Charlestown." I answered without pause.

"Is there food in your refrigerator?" She asked as if she knew the answer.

"Umm… define 'food.'" I knew she would be less than impressed by the contents of my kitchen. There might have been a hot pocket in the freezer.

"Come home with me." She must have realized how that sounded, because she blushed furiously. "Oh no. I didn't mean to say that in a manner that would add an uncomfortable innuendo to the rapport we were beginning to establish. I just meant that I have nutritious food and fresh ingredients at my house. And that perhaps you're hungry and I would like to ensure that you eat a healthy meal and then rest so that you don't develop any nutrient or mineral deficiency." Goddamn she's adorable. I had to stop her before she started to hyperventilate.

"Maura, relax, its fine. I know what you meant. I would like to go to your house and eat a healthy and nutrient rich meal. But maybe we should save that for when I'm not a gross sweaty mess, and when I'm not so tired. I wouldn't want to fall asleep on a meal you prepare."

I thought about sharing a meal with her. I could only imagine the kind of food she must keep in her kitchen. Probably a bunch of leaves and other plants and whole grains. I wondered what kind of plates she has. Are they a solid color or a pattern? Was her table wood or glass? Where did she live?

"Where do you live?" I didn't realize I had actually asked until i heard her reply.

"Beacon Hill."

Of course she lived in Beacon Hill. She looked like the Beacon Hill type. But after talking a bit with her, she didn't really seem like that type. She seemed a bit too awkward to truly belong to that caste. Like they wouldn't really get her. Even her profession. Not a physician at a hospital or a private practice, but a medical examiner. The Chief Medical Examiner would be exempt from their scrutiny though, right? How old is she anyway? Chief already, impressive.

I must have been too quiet for too long because she cleared her throat.

"Sorry. I have a few days off since this case snatched my weekend. How about a healthy meal after a good night's rest and a much needed shower?" She looked surprised.

"Oh well that sounds like a great idea! Tomorrow then?"

"Sure, tomorrow."

"Excellent. What time will you get up?"

"I really have no idea. I was gonna just sleep until I woke up."

"I normally would advise against that and recommend a structured sleeping schedule. As you are probably severely sleep deprived, however, that may be just what you need. Call me when you start your day then, detective, and we can set a time and place for brunch." She smiled again, and it reached her eyes, and had to restrain myself from stroking that dimple with my thumb.

"Sounds good, doc. I'll give you a call when I get up."

"We left the bar, her wine glass still mostly full, my beer long empty. My hand found its way to the small of her back when we walked through the parking lot. I escorted Maura to her car. She got in and locked the doors before I started toward my own car.

"Detective… Nice jab by the way." She said before driving off. She was smiling again, and I saw that light in her eyes. I just knew she was someone special.


	2. Chapter 2

I was exhausted when I finally got home that night. My apartment was mess, empty bottles, bags of chips, a pizza box with three day old crusts on the counter. This was bad even for me. I was too tired to care just then, so I walked past it all. I only showered because I caught a wiff of my pits. After putting on a t-shirt and boxers, I laid in my bed, and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, but as usual, I couldn't get to sleep for a while. My mind recycled through the past few days. Franklin Roberts and I had a lot in common; workaholics, single, quiet social life. I have family but I live alone, and my apartment is a vacant hole of take out boxes and dirty laundry most of the time. I go to work and I come home to sleep. I even eat most meals at my mother's house, if not on the run.

There's a dark place I go to sometimes. A place of solitude and self pity. I have periods of feeling a deep sadness and loneliness and I went there that night. In bed, alone, watching the numbers on the clock ascend and start over. Why can't I maintain relationships? Why am I alone? Why was Franklin alone? Why didn't anybody miss him for two entire days? Who did he love? When was the last time someone ran their fingers through his hair?

And my thoughts instantly went to Maura.

She looked so sad that day. I wondered if she treats all victims so delicately. Did she ever treat living patients? Patients that get better, that she can smile at?

That smile was the last thing I remember thinking about before I finally fell asleep. I woke up just before 8am, and looked around my bedroom. Clothes everywhere, probably all dirty, empty bottles and glasses on both nightstands, my laptop and files in the corner. My mother would call it a pigsty for sure. I could hear her voice, loudly instructing me to get all this shit outta here. I'm a big girl and I knew it was a disaster zone, so I spent the next 45 minutes cleaning up. I even put fresh sheets on the bed and vacuumed the floor. The living room wasn't as bad as I thought it was, and didn't take long to straighten up. I even dusted my piano off. I went to take a shower and realized that my bathroom was dirty too.

After scrubbing the tub and wiping dried toothpaste off the sink and mirror, the rest of the bathroom only took a few minutes. Since I've been working so much I hadn't had the chance to really enjoy a shower in long time. I took the time to shave and even used conditioner on this wild hair of mine. After showering and brushing my teeth I felt ready to face the world. When I remembered that I was meeting Maura for breakfast I was strangely proud that my place was presentable. I haven't had a lady over in some time, and I never gave a damn what kind of impression my apartment made. Maura wasn't coming over here, but still I found myself thinking that she would appreciate my efforts. I bet her place is impeccable.

Shit, I didn't have time to do any laundry before breakfast. I bet she wouldn't be impressed by a coffee stained shirt or pants I've already worn twice since I last washed them. I checked my closet and found a white button up shirt and a pair of jeans. They were clean but needed ironing. I didn't think Maura would like my ripped jeans, but it was either those or something I pull outta the hamper and spray with febreze. She'd like a crisp white shirt though. I wore a new pair of white Converse sneakers, low tops for the warm weather, and I cuffed my jeans and my sleeves. My hair was behaving since I actually used conditioner today, so it was wild without looking unkempt.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Maura. How are you this morning?"

"I am well, detective. How are you? Did you get any substantial sleep?" She sounded well rested.

"Yeah, I got some sleep… Are we still on for breakfast?"

"Yes. I have completed the preparations in anticipation of your call."

"Prepared? You're cooking?"

"Yes… Is that okay? I enjoy cooking and since we both have the day off I thought that maybe you'd like to come over to my home. If you'd rather go somewhere, to a restaurant or cafe that would be acceptable. I can save these ingredients for lunch this afternoon. That's not to presume that you would want to have lunch with me."

"Maura, your place is fine. Its okay, I promise. Text me your address and I'll be over soon."

That nervous rambling thing she does is the cutest damn thing ever. She texted me her address, and I set off towards Beacon Hill. I stopped at a market on my way to get some flowers for the table, and orange juice because I'd probably drink three glasses of juice with my meal. My brothers used to always complain that I drank all the juice, and my mother would fuss at me at least once a week about that bad habit, amongst others. I saw some tasty looking pastries, but didn't get any. I had the clerk cut the stems, and grabbed a pack of sugar from the coffee bar for the flowers on my way out.

* * *

I pulled up to Maura's brick house and parked in her driveway. I knew what to expect and wasn't surprised by the wealthy neighborhood, but I was still impressed. People from my side of town didn't normally have friends who lived on this side. I had never actually been inside of a home in Beacon Hill. That changed pretty quickly. Maura answered the door as soon as I rang the bell. She smiled and asked me to come in. She looked beautiful. Her hair was in fluffy, loose curls, and her make-up was light. I didn't realize until then that she has light freckles. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"Good morning, Jane. It's good to see you." Her voice sounded smooth, but her cadence was rushed. Still nervous.

"Morning, Maura. Wow, you look great." I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting down and then back up her body. By the time I got back up to her face she was smiling at me. It reached her eyes, but it was a different smile than the one I saw yesterday. She was smirking at me; she caught me checking her out. I didn't care.

"Thank you, Jane. You look great as well. Distressed jeans, made popular in the 1980's and 1990's grunge and rocker trends. Very stylish… I hope you're hungry." She turned and walked away. I followed her into her spacious home.

Maura wore a white sleeveless dress. It fit tight around her curves and the hem stopped two inches above the knee. It was definitely not a work dress, but it was tasteful. I'm not even sure how it was still classy. Maybe it was her perfect posture, or the grace she moved with. I didn't notice her shoes until my eyes were glued to her calves. She wore nude colored heels and I briefly wondered if she likes to keep her heels on during sex.

Shit. She said something and I wasn't listening.

"Jane? You brought flowers?" She repeated herself, smiling again.

"Yeah, I thought they were pretty… And I brought juice 'cuz I'm probably gonna drink all of yours, so I'm replacing it upfront."

She tilted her head to the right and squinted, but then smiled once again and walked into the kitchen. She opened a cabinet and reached for a vase. I saw that it wasn't quite within her reach, so I walked around her and grabbed it for her. I could feel heat radiating off her skin. Maura turned to take the vase from me, but I wouldn't let it go. Her eyes searched my face in confusion, so I smiled and said,

"Let me do it."

Maura paused, looking up at me, and then took a step back. She watched me from where she stood. I added the sugar, filled the vase with water, and dropped the flowers in.

"Should I put the flowers on the table, Maura?"

"Y-yes, the table. They will look lovely on the table. Thank you, Jane. Please, sit. I will bring the plates in a moment."

I sat at the table and admired Maura's house. She had paintings and weird looking statues, and books, oh did she have books. I could see Maura from where I was sitting. Damn she's sexy. She brought two plates to the table and stepped back into the kitchen. I offered to help and she instructed me to sit. She came back with a tray loaded up with more food, and beverages. Omelettes with cheese, onion and bell pepper, toast, fruit, and bacon. Bacon, mmmhmm. And coffee and orange juice. I had forgotten how hungry I was, too preoccupied with Maura and that dress she wore. And her golden-green eyes, and adorable dimples when she smiled.

"Wow, Maura. This looks and smells great! Thanks again for inviting me over."

"Thank you for joining me, Jane. Eat while everything is hot. I decided on traditional pork bacon instead of turkey. Even though the amounts of sodium associated with bacon is unhealthy, something told me that you'd prefer it. Turkey bacon tends to be thought of as a more responsible option, but it is in fact a highly processed meat product that should not be viewed as a more suitable choice for consumption."

"So that means if pork belly is on a menu I shouldn't feel bad about ordering it?"

"For an occasional indulgence, such a fatty item could be acceptable. But only occasionally, detective."

"I thought you were gonna call me Jane."

"I like calling you detective. Does that bother you, Jane?" Maura replied, sounding more sultry with every word.

I wanted to tell her how much I love the sound of my name rolling off her tongue, but the way she said detective sounded good, too. Did she always say it like that? I gotta change the subject.

"This breakfast is really good. Do you cook often?"

"Not as much as I'd like to. I prepare simple meals for myself several times a week, but its nice being able to cook for someone."

"Well I definitely appreciate it, Maura. I really needed it after the last few days. I don't think I ate anything hot since last Thursday, and that was pizza. Haven't had an actual meal in days."

She gave me a look, "Jane it is imperative that you eat a balanced diet to maintain your health, particularly in your field. You must feed your body the nutrients it needs to ensure proper performance."

"I know, I know. My ma is constantly trying to shove bunny shaped pancakes down my throat. She tells me I'm too thin just about every time she sees me."

"Your body appears to be very much proportionate. Your long bones and lean muscle seem to be very complimentary to each other… When you were in the gym last night I noticed how fit your body is. You're not too thin, you look very strong, Jane."

"I-I'll let my ma know that a doctor says I'm just fine the way I am."

"Yes, just fine, detective."

I liked the way she looked at me when she said that.


	3. Chapter 3

"You always dress like you're going somewhere important."

"Clothing I find aesthetically pleasing is like wearing art on my body and taking it with me all day. The craftsmanship of a well made dress or shoe can be as impressive as any piece in an art gallery. I think of the stitching the way one might be fascinated by brushstrokes on a canvass. I take great pleasure in dressing nicely. I've found that my attire correlates directly with my mood rather consistently. This dress, for example, evokes a fanciful feeling for me. I feel like anything is possible in this dress. Its seasonally appropriate, the silk-linen blend feels smooth on my skin… I feel desirable in this dress. Your clothing choices today suit you, Jane. Your jeans look well worn and aren't overly tattered. Your pressed shirt contrasts the jeans, and fits your frame well. You look casual and comfortable, like you feel good."

Maura's eyes ghosted over me while she spoke. I realized that I did feel good. The best I'd felt for a while. Even before the recent stressful week at work I wasn't feeling great, but sitting here with Maura, talking about clothes, I felt good.

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments. Maura started to gather dishes off of the table, and told me to stay put when I went to help.

"No, Jane, please. I am your host."

"And I am your gracious guest, and I'm gonna help you clean up. And I'm gonna pour myself my third glass of juice."

"You must be careful Jane. Be mindful of the amount of sugar and empty calories you must be consuming with so much juice. Not to mention the caffeine and added sugar in the coffee you drink."

"I only had one cup of coffee."

"Yes, but you drink coffee throughout the day. Does the caffeine adversely affect your sleeping patterns? REM sleep is vital for the recovery of your brain as well as physiological processes."

"Are you saying I drink too much coffee, doc?"

Maura's eyes widened a little, and she paused before saying, "oh no Jane! I was simply expressing concern for your health. The dangers of chronic sleep deprivation are very serious. Impaired judgement and delayed reflexes could drastically alter the outcomes of situations you may find yourself in. Especially considering your physical output as a detective, Jane. You must be cautious."

Does she have any idea how cute she is?

"Maura, relax. I was just teasing you. I know you're just looking out for me." I smiled at her, and she visibly relaxed.

"I asked you to stay seated, detective. I only need a few minutes to load the dishwasher."

"Yeah well, I'm helping anyway."

In her kitchen I noticed a high end wine cooler. The woman has a fridge just for wine. That glass of red at the Robber last night must have been terrible to her refined pallet. We stood next to each other. I rinsed our dishes and she loaded them into the dishwasher. I watched her move and bend back and forth. The muscles in her legs clenched and flexed when she moved and man, I wished we had dirtied up more plates.

"Do you have plans for the rest of the day?" Maura asked with a small smile.

"Uh yeah. I missed Sunday dinner with my ma, working the Roberts case and all, so I promised her I'd come over for lunch. If I go too many days without seeing her she magically appears at my apartment. What about you?"

"The Laurent summer collection released a few additional pieces over the weekend. I didn't have the chance to go shopping, but I thankfully had the foresight to preorder several dresses and blouses. I will pick them up today, and run a few other errands." She looked like a kid. Damn this woman likes clothes.

"Sounds great, Maura." I couldn't help but smile at her.

The table was clean, dishwasher loaded. I should leave. I didn't wanna wear out my welcome. And she said she had stuff to do. Her phone rang, so that helped me make my decision. She apologized and excused herself before answering it in French and speaking for a few moments before turning back to me.

"Jane, I have to take this call. Its my mother calling from Paris, and we don't speak often."

"No, yeah, I understand. I'll catch up with you later. Thanks again for breakfast." I started towards the door.

"Wait, Jane." She reached out, but didn't touch me. "I enjoyed spending time with you today."

"Yeah? Me too."

What now? Do I hug her? Shake her hand? Definitely not shake her hand. We stood inside the doorway just looking at each other for what felt like a full minute. Her eyes never left mine.

"I'll let you get back to your call. See you tomorrow at work?"

"Yes, tomorrow. Thank you for joining me for breakfast, Jane."

"Thanks for inviting me. It was really great... Goodbye, Maura."

"Goodbye, Jane."

* * *

Turned out I wouldn't see her for a few days. We caught a case, but another ME was assigned to it. I didn't see Maura around BPD, but I sure did think about her. She'd already seeped into my thoughts in strange ways. I laid awake in bed waiting for sleep to take me under, and I heard her voice asking how much coffee I had during the day. I chugged juice straight from the bottle, and could hear Maura telling me to watch my sugar intake. I thought about calling her, but I didn't know what to say. 'Hi Maura. Thanks for having me over for breakfast the other day. I can't stop thinking about you. Bye Maura.'

But it had been three days and I hadn't seen her at work. So I didn't have the chance to casually say hello, or see her at a scene and watch her command every eye when she walked in. Its finally Friday, and Cavanaugh already told Frost, Korsak and I that we wouldn't be catching, and to tighten up all reports and then leave. A whole weekend off this time. Not even on call, totally off. I should call Maura, ask her if she's working this weekend.

Fuck it. I'm going to see if she's in the morgue.

There was another ME there, with a body open on a table, but no sign of Maura.

"Excuse me. Is Dr. Isles around?" I asked him. Dr. Kilpatrick is his name. Not an ME I especially like working with.

"I don't know Rizzoli. I'm a doctor, not a receptionist."

"Look you smug piece of shit, all I asked was if your superior was around. Your credentials don't mean shit to the question I asked you."

I walked away before he gathered his wits enough to respond. I ran back upstairs, and saw Maura approaching the elevators. She was wearing a navy blue pencil skirt and a cream, off white, eggshell, whatever colored blouse. And she of course was wearing heels. She didn't see me coming towards her.

"Maura. I was just looking for you." I spoke before she saw me, and I must have surprised her because she gasped.

"Jane!" Her hand flew to her chest. "You startled me, Jane."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?" I chuckled a little.

"Yes, I'm fine. You uh, you said you were looking for me?" She needed a moment to compose herself.

"Yeah, I just came up from the morgue. Kilpatrick's doing an autopsy, and wasn't very helpful when I asked about you."

"I informed Dr. Kilpatrick that I would be returning to the lab within the hour. Did he not relay the message?"

"No he told me he's not your receptionist."

"Hmph. Well, that wasn't very helpful, was it?" She looked kinda irritated.

"Not at all."

"Walk me to my office?"

"Sure thing."

"Dr. Kilpatrick, I must insist that you relay information to any personnel who enter this laboratory. I explicitly asked you to inform anyone inquiring about my whereabouts that I had not left the building, and would return shortly. If telling a detective that the Chief Medical Examiner would be right back is too much for you to do while finishing an autopsy, perhaps you should work in an area less busy that BPD headquarters. Perhaps a more remote location would be a more suitable venue for you. There is an opening in Dukes County that might interest you, doctor."

Wow, ticked off Maura was a sight to behold. She was clearly not to be fucked with.

"No, Dr. Isles, I don't want to work in Dukes. I will remember to inform any officers who come looking for you." Kilpatrick turned pale, and changed his attitude.

"Detective, Dr. Kilpatrick. Not officer." Damn, Maura.

"Yes, of course, Dr. Isles."

"Good day doctor." And she walked briskly into her office with me right on her six.


	4. Chapter 4

"Forgive my outburst, detective. That was not the first time Dr. Kilpatrick has done the opposite of what was asked of him. He doesn't respect me as his superior. He petitioned for the position of Chief several times during his tenure in the ME's office, and was repeatedly turned down."

"So what you're saying is he was already intimidated by you professionally. I think you just scared the shit outta him. You're a pistol when you wanna be, huh?"

"A handgun often used by law enforcement and civilians alike, the pistol is the commonly used firearm in America. Many police departments issue Glock pistols to officers, particularly the 22, which as you know fires .40 caliber ammunition… But in this context you must be referring to the more contemporary definition of pistol, pertaining to the sharpness with which I spoke to Dr. Kilpatrick." Maura blushed by the end of her statement.

"Yeah, Maura, the second one. You know alot about handguns, though. Ever shot one?"

"No, the opportunity has never presented itself, and I never sought it out."

"I could teach you, if you want to learn how."

"I'm sure you would be an excellent teacher of firearm usage. Perhaps one day I could study under you." And she stepped away from me.

I could feel my body temperature rise, God I hope I'm not blushing. "That sounds like a plan, doctor. I was actually looking for you before because I was hoping maybe we could do something less extreme than a shooting range… I'm off this weekend. You wanna maybe get dinner or drinks?"

That didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I wanted to ask her out, like an adult who finds someone attractive. But what came out sounded more like a teenager whose big brother chaperons dates. Maura had thrown me off. Study under me? Wow.

"Sure, Jane. Being Chief has its perks, and I generally don't work weekends unless there's an especially demanding case." Maura smiled and the room lit up.

"How about tonight?"

"Yes, Jane. Tonight works." Her voice lowered just a little.

"Ok. Umm, 8 o'clock?"

"Eight sounds wonderful." The even tone of her voice drew me closer to her. I leaned towards her before I stopped myself and remembered that it was my turn to say something.

"Right. So I'll pick you up at 8. I gotta go close up shop. See you tonight." I felt like I was being hypnotized by Maura. I turned to leave and she called my name.

"Jane, what should I wear?"

I have no idea where I'm taking her, so I have no clue how to answer her question. Think, Jane, think.

"Nothing too fancy, Maura. You always look great, so, whatever you choose will be fine. See you tonight."

"Alright, Jane."

I left her office and scoffed at Kilpatrick on my way out. Fucking prick. When I got upstairs Frost had that look on his face that says 'Jane, you're about to be busy.'

"I was just about to call you. I got a lead we should look into before we leave. That case that went cold in February? Just found the sister-in-law that disappeared when we started poking around. She turned up in Dorchester this week. My CI said she looks pregnant."

"Wait, the 19 year old who fell off the face of the Earth when Richardson got killed? Let's fucking go, partner."

Frost's CI was right, and young Stacy Watkins was back in Boston, and pregnant. We called it a day after learning that her family is throwing her a baby shower next week. She's not going anywhere, so we're not gonna burn up our weekend tracking her. We got lunch and headed back to the office.

At BPD I was almost finished my paperwork. I took a break to try to figure out where I could take Maura. Would it be lazy to take her to an Italian restaurant? She mentioned that she lived in France before. She would know what to order and could read the menu. But would she be bored? Isn't that a typical date for someone like her? I decided to check online for something more interesting. There was some big time soprano singing at the Opera House. I called my ticket guy to see if he could get me in.

Several phone calls later I had successfully planned an evening that I knew Maura would enjoy. We got tickets and a reservation. Opera and Italian. Hopefully we could both find our comfort zones with my choices. I couldn't wait to leave work. I left at exactly 5pm, went home and decided to go for a run before getting ready for my date. We never really said if it was a date. Shit, probably should have figured that out, huh.

* * *

I never wore my nice suits to work because then they wouldn't be nice. So when I got dressed that night, I knew that Maura would approve. I chose the slate grey modern fit suit with a navy blue fitted button up and soft black loafers with no socks. Frost even liked this suit; he had never seen me wear it, but he saw it when he helped me install shelves in my closet. I remember his face when he realized I actually owned nice clothes other than the court suit. I blow dried my hair, and it laid softly over my shoulders. I sprayed my favorite cologne before getting dressed. Thank God for metrosexuals; pretty boys have expanded the tomboy wardrobe and fragrance options. I looked masculine, but not manly, and my fragrance is clean instead of floral. I never really wore makeup, but a bit of mascara seemed fitting, so I struggled through putting on two coats. Didn't even poke myself in the eye.

I left home a little earlier than I needed to. I was dressed and I couldn't sit still, so I headed out for Maura's house. It was 7:48 when I pulled up, so I checked my reflection and popped a breathmint. I checked my phone for any interesting texts or emails, and then decided that Maura wouldn't mind me being a few minutes early.

I rang the doorbell and heard Maura walking to the door. My stomach started twisting, and my palms were sweating, and for a split second I wanted to run. But when Maura opened the door my mind went totally blank. She wore a tight black dress with a plunging sweetheart neckline and heels that were at least four inches high. Her hair was wavy and shiny and her makeup was perfect. Her heavy eye shadow made her eyes sparkle, and she smiled at me like she was happy to see me.

"Jane, you look amazing."

"Maura, wow you look great."

We spoke at the same time, and then laughed softly. When she spoke again her voice was low and husky.

"You clean up well, detective. That suit fits you perfectly."

"Thank you. You really do look great, Maura, I mean really." I was a little flustered. I didn't expect her to look so damn good.

"Are you sure? I can change. I didn't know what to wear. Is my dress appropriate? Where are we going, Jane?"

"Maura, you're perfect. Don't you dare change anything. Are you ready to go?"

She smiled again and turned to get her purse.

When we approached the Opera House, Maura had figured it out. She gasped.

"Jane are you taking me to the opera?! Jane, Renee Fleming is the featured soprano, for tonight's show only. How did you manage to get tickets, Jane?" She nearly bounced in her seat, she was so excited.

"I have a guy who gets tickets to Red Sox games and I figured it was worth a shot. So I called him this afternoon."

She smiled at me, and I knew I would do anything for that damn smile.

We pulled up and left the car with the valet. We walked inside the Opera House and were guided to our seats. Six rows from the stage, our seats were perfect. Close without having to crane our necks, and with a great view of the of the orchestra.

Maura's eyes were wide, and looked more green than I'd ever noticed. She couldn't stop smiling.

"Jane, this is wonderful. Truly."

I didn't have any words, so I just smiled back at her. During the performance Maura was completely enraptured. She looked at me from time to time and I wondered if she had caught me staring at her. She probably did. Renee Fleming was great, and the orchestra was sounded fantastic, but really, Maura was all I could focus on. Watching her face during the performance was way better than anything on the stage. I like music, and actually enjoy opera and classical, being a pianist and all. But Maura's expressions were the most impressive sights at the opera. She would almost frown at times, and then totally light up, and sometimes she kinda moved with the music. I only saw her gently swaying because I was watching her so attentively. She turned and looked at me and smiled. That dimple in the dim lighting seemed deeper than I thought it was. Or was she smiling wider? This was the first time we sat next to each other, and I was enjoying the close proximity and her side profile.

Every time I inhaled I could smell her perfume. Every time she shifted I could feel her body move. I could hear her sharp inhale when some character was murdered.

At intermission I needed a drink. I was comfortable with Maura, but tense all the same.

"Jane did you know that_ Lucrezia Borgia_ is based on and named for the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and her supposed blood as well as carnal lust. The Borgia's were de facto royalty in Italy, as the pope was the political and ceremonial head of state. Their family was of noble bloodlines, but when Rodrigo Borgia became pope, his family was thrust into the highest echelon of society."

"Yeah I read about him once. That was the family that killed all their enemies, and the daughter's boyfriend. And one of his sons killed another one. They leave all those stories out of catechism lessons though. Didn't know anything about him until I was an adult."

"Jane, you are more knowledgeable than the other detectives I've met." She held eye contact and smiled, and I broke just a little bit inside.

"I don't wanna call my colleagues a bunch of idiots, but they're not exactly intellectuals, you know… Let's get back to our seats. The second act will start soon."

She looped her arm through mine as we walked back to our seats. It was the first time we had touched since shaking hands at a crime scene over a month ago.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I can't believe people are actually reading my little story! Aww shucks guys.**_

* * *

The second act of the opera was good, there was more corruption and murder, and of course more selections from Renee Fleming and her excellent vocal range. I hadn't really listened to any music recently, and couldn't remember when I last intentionally listened to opera, but I could understand Maura's excitement. I should get Frost to load up my ipod.

We left the Opera House, arm in arm, and waited for the valet to bring my car around. I'd been opening Maura's door all evening, and I could tell she thought it was a nice gesture. Its a habit I picked up when I first started dating. Women are sometimes taken by surprise because most men don't bother with chivalry and hardly do those types of things these days.

In the car Maura turned towards me with a content expression on her face.

"That was a phenomenal performance, Jane. Our seats were excellent, especially on such short notice. Thank you."

"I'll tell Ricky he saved the day… I hope you're hungry. Do you like Italian?"

"I enjoy Italian, Detective Rizzoli, yes." With her voice so low it almost a purr.

"Good, because I made reservations at the only Italian restaurant worth going to on this side of town."

The restaurant wasn't far, and the short ride was spent with Maura recalling and analyzing her favorite scene from the opera. She went all google about Venice and the Vatican and the so called holy wars fought to consolidate power to only certain people. I was listening but honestly, I didn't care what she was saying just then, all I could hear was the sound of her voice. Maura could have read the owner's manual in the glove box and I still would have been caught up in her voice.

We were seated and perusing the menu. I knew what I wanted when I made our reservations, and wondered what Maura would order. Probably something with a bunch of vegetables.

"Have you decided what you want? Want to share an appetizer?"

"Her eyes narrowed for moment and she said, "Yes, I've decided."

Our waiter came to the table to take our drink orders, interrupting before she said anything else. Maura ordered a glass of a particular Merlot, humming in approval at the wine selections she saw. I wanted to taste what made her make that sound and asked for the same.

I needed to take the reigns of this date, show her that I'm not just passing the time but spending time with her.

"What are you getting?"

"The mushroom risotto sounds good, but you're the expert here, detective. What would you recommend?"

"Actually their risotto is really good if you wanna eat mushrooms… Is it okay if I order for you? Since I'm the expert."

She flashed that smile again. The same one from when I opened the door for her, and when I handed her a glass of champagne during intermission when she came back from the restroom. I started to think of it as the 'Chivalry Lives' smile. She blinked slowly and said, "yes, Jane, that would be just fine. Thank you."

When the waiter came back he asked if we were ready. "Sì, sì. Il mio compagno avrà il risotto ai porcini e voglio che i gamberi al rosmarino. E cominciamo con l'insalata caprese con le bellissime olio d'oliva fate portare oltre. Grazie."

"Una buona scelta. Metto il tuo ordine e presto. Qualcos'altro?"

"No. La ringrazio."

"Va bene."

He collected our menus and politely smiled at Maura, then nodded at me before leaving our table.

"Jane, that was… You speak Italian." She said like she wasn't sure if that really just happened. Like it was a known fact that she just proved personally, but hadn't fully recovered from.

"Well, sort of. I can get by with Italians raised in the states, but my grandfather corrected me endlessly." I chuckled at the memory of nonno fussing over my conjugation and pronunciation.

"That was just amazing. Molto meglio di me, ma mio nonno non era italiano." Maura carefully said. "I'm out of practice. It's been years since I've spoken any Italian."

"Well that was very good, doctor. Not as bad as you think. Maybe we can practice together."

Maura beamed that smile at me again, and then the waiter came back with our appetizer.

* * *

Throughout dinner Maura told me about the time she spent in Venice. She had visited while living in France, riding the train between countries more conveniently than we get from one state to another here. She was never fully fluent in any other language but French, but had picked up a little Italian, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese along the way. Maura told me about visiting famous sights and seeing art from the most famous collections before they made rounds to other countries. She talked about lectures and symposiums, and castles and all types of stuff that could have been boring, but wasn't because of the look of total bliss on her face.

"So who went with you traipsing all over Europe? Were you in a club of some sort, or with a group?"

Her expression dimmed, and I could tell that tour conversation was headed someplace less pleasant. "Actually, there wasn't anyone with me most of the time. Sometimes my parents were around, mostly my mother. She took me to many museums when we were together."

"I don't understand. What do you mean when you were together?"

She cleared her throat and took a sip of wine. "I went to boarding school, Jane, for many years. I didn't live with my parents during my formative years. We visited each other from time to time, and vacationed together occasionally, but were rarely in the same country for any real amount of time."

"Oh wow. That must have been interesting. So you were pretty independent, huh?"

"You could say that. It was an experience I wouldn't trade though. Studies have shown that independence fosters a sense responsibility and achievement in adolescents, and exposure to various cultures can increase aptitude in children. So I can't complain about anything."

"Yeah, that all sounds really good, but, at what cost?"

Maura's face contorted into something that wasn't a frown, but was definitely not the happy face that I had grown accustomed to seeing. It was the work face, the Chief face. Shit, what did I just do?

"I'm sorry Maura. Shit, I didn't mean anything by it I swear-"

"Yes you did, Jane. You don't say things that you don't mean." She lowered her eyes and breathed deeply. "I know what you meant, believe me. There was a cost."

"You were alone." It wasn't a question. I didn't ask because I could see the answer plain as day.

"Yes, for a long time."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. My mouth has always been one of my biggest issues. Can we just act like I didn't say that?"

"Its fine Jane, you weren't wrong. Its okay. I appreciate being able to speak about my childhood with you. Its been a while since I talked about it." Her face softened, and she didn't look so cold anymore.

"You're sure? You're okay?"

"I'm sure." She smiled for the first time in a few minutes, and it made me smile back at her.

"So I didn't blow it?"

"Not yet, detective."

* * *

Yes, yes. My companion will have the porcini risotto and I want the gamberi al rosmarino (its a shrimp and rosemary tomato thing that little baby Jesus wouldn't share). And we will start with the caprese salad with that beautiful olive oil you guys bring over. Thanks.

Good choices. I'll put your order in and be back soon. Anything else?

No. Thank you.

Alright.

Much better than me, but my grandfather wasn't Italian.

_**I don't speak Italian, and I hope none of you do either because that translation is straight off a free site.**_


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of dinner went well, and that hiccup didn't railroad our connection. Maura shared more about her childhood. She went to dinner parties and ate seven course meals, and ballet and broadway shows, private planes and yachts while I was a tough tomboy fighting with and for my brothers. She asked me about growing up in Boston.

"It must have been wonderful to stay in one place for your whole childhood. You saw all four seasons every year from the same city."

"Yeah I guess it was pretty nice. I've never really thought about it like that."

"And your brothers. Tell me about them."

"Frankie was always like my best friend. He's only two years younger than me, so we were always together. And he tagged along all the time. If I wanted to go outside, Frankie had to come with me, and after a while I stopped getting mad about it… Well until I was 16 and trying to spread my wings a bit and my freshman kid brother was a cock block."

Maura listened intently like she was really fascinated by what I thought was a typical experience.

"So it was fine that he socialized with you until you became sexual interested in people in your social network." She tilted her head and I could see the gears turning in her head. She wanted to say something else. That head tilt thing is so damn cute.

"What is it Maura?"

"What do you mean? I just-"

"Clarify to avoid confusion, remember?" I smirked at her. "Go ahead."

She seemed to tense up a bit and then, "does your use of the term 'cock block' mean that you were interested in young men? The term is commonly used to indicate something or someone causing an interruption in an interaction that would lead to sexual intercourse, and doesn't necessarily mean the literal crude blocking of one's phallic member, and there's no way for me to ascertain the gender of any other parties, and-"

"And stop, Maura." I gently told her. She was getting all worked up again. "I got ya… There weren't really any boys I was attracted to. I mean when I first started feeling those kinds of feelings, the boys were grimy little urchins that I used to beat up. And the older guys were cheesy and all they seemed to care about was sex. So no, I wasn't into guys. Cock block is just a commonly used phrase in this scenario."

Maura looked relieved and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry, I was curious."

"You're good. Not prying… What about you? I bet the boys and the girls liked you. Did you wear pleated skirts and knee socks to school?"

"Yes, actually, I did. The headmaster was very strict about our uniforms and general appearance on campus. But being an all girls school, there weren't many boys around. The boys' school was nearby but I didn't attend any mixers. I was always exceptionally studious and focused, and spent every moment I could studying and reading."

"So that accounts for the non-existent boys, but what about the girls at your all girls school?"

"There was one. I was several years younger than many of the other students, as I had accelerated through primary school, so when I was 15 I took what would be 11th and 12th grade level classes. I had a classmate who I thought was gorgeous and she was nicer to me than the other girls. We had an intimate relationship, we would talk about girl stuff, and she was the most intelligent student I had ever met. She and I would do our school work together and eat meals together and I developed quite the crush on her."

Maura had a far away look on her pretty face. "She started dating a boy from our brother school, and stopped spending time with me. When I asked her if I had done something wrong she laughed and said that we were just 'study buddies' and that she didn't have feelings for me."

"Damn that must have been a blow. You were 15? Whoa… What's her name." I pulled my phone out for the first time since I was sitting outside Maura's house.

"Her name was Samantha. What are you doing?"

"Samantha what? I'm gonna find her and call her a douche to her face for being mean to you. I can find some embarrassing detail about her and rub her nose in it. And then you can come out from behind me with that amazing dress on and tell her you have a great career, and a new study buddy." I smiled so she didn't mistakenly think I was really planning on tracking down some girl from high school.

Her eyebrows jumped high on her forehead and she gasped. "Jane you wouldn't do such a thing!"

Then she laughed, I mean really laughed, and the sound overtook my mind. It was light, and airy and a real laugh. It wasn't a chuckle, she was really amused. I was completely sucked into this woman. Her teeth were perfectly straight. Her collarbones were defined and on display with the cut of her dress. Her blond hair was in soft waves that swayed when she moved. Those golden green eyes were shining and glowing through her sexy smokey eye shadow. All I wanted to do was touch her, run my fingers through her hair, down her neck and over her clavicle. I wanted to feel the silk fabric of her dress. I wanted her to keep laughing.

"I wouldn't. But I would do anything to make you laugh like that."

And she smiled at me before she started blushing and lowered her gaze. It was too late to be coy, so I didn't look away. I waited for her eyes to meet mine again. The waiter came with our cheque, but I still refused to look away from Maura until she looked up again. I wanted to tell the waiter to _andare lontano *go away*, _to get away from us, to go check on his other tables. Didn't he see what was happening here? Didn't he feel the buzz in the air around us? I know Maura feels it, I can see it in her eyes. At least I could if she would look at me.

"Grazie." I told the waiter without breaking my stare.

Maura finally raised her eyes and was trapped. I refused to look away, and I wouldn't let her either. She looked at me and said my name.

"Jane, I don't… I mean, I'm.. This is the most I've spoken so openly in a very long time and…" She trailed off and I worried that I might have been too demanding with my relentless staring. The waiter retrieved the cheque and my debit card without speaking or disturbing us. "I'm glad that you asked me out, Jane." She said it quietly but sincerely.

We left the restaurant and walked for a while. It aids in digestion, Maura told me, and I think we both needed the fresh air. After a few minutes of walking in comfortable silence she linked our arms again. I didn't realize that I was feeling a little unsure until that physical connection put me at ease. Its strange how that works; sometimes you don't even know that you want or need something until you get it and it just feels good.

"Do you want to get dessert or coffee or something? There's a place I know not too far from here."

"You seem to always know a place, or a guy." She smiled sweetly.

"Well I'm a Bostonian. And a cop. I should know a guy, right?"

"Well you do have a point there." Maura stopped walking and turned to face me, releasing my arm. The moonlight illuminated her face and those mood ring eyes looked amber and I just couldn't stop drowning in them. I needed a life raft. I gotta pull myself together.

"So, coffee?"

She stepped forward and looked up at me. Her eyelashes lowered with a slow blink, and then opened up again.

"We can have coffee at my place. If you want to, Jane."

"Yes I want to." And I held my breath. I was fucking up. All she did was bat her eyelashes at me and I went all nervous teenager on her.

"Wonderful." She didn't move away from me and she kept looking at me in that way that made me feel special.

I should have kissed her. I knew I should have kissed her. She wanted me to, and I wanted to do it. Our mutual attraction was obvious and all I had to do was lean into her, just a few inches, and our lips would have touched. But that's not how I operate. I don't just kiss pretty girls who want to be kissed. Our date was good, great even, and I felt a real connection between us. But that didn't mean that I would break my own policy. No kissing on first dates. Coffee at her house would just be coffee and more conversation.

We walked back to the valet, got in the car, and headed to Beacon Hill.

* * *

"If I ask you to sit down, are you going to follow me into the kitchen anyway?" She asked me, smirking. She's so damn cute, I swear.

"Not this time. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Yes, of course. Down the hall, on the left." She pointed.

I took a few minutes to gather my thoughts and reign in my libido. This woman was making me crazy. One date and I was in her luxurious powder room, splashing water on my face trying to calm the fuck down. I don't do this. I wasn't the type to struggle with the code. It was simple. No kissing on the first date, no sex until I was sure it wouldn't be a fling, and no additional dates unless I felt some real chemistry. The problem was, I hadn't wanted a second date so bad in years, and the first date wasn't even over yet. And I'm in her house, hiding in the bathroom, because I'm afraid that coffee is gonna be something more than just coffee. How can I explain myself without sounding crazy or worse, offending her? I gotta leave the bathroom before she thinks I'm shitting in her powder room.

"Are you alright, Jane?" She's concerned, damn it.

"Yeah I'm good." Why did my voice squeak? Rizzoli, come on.

She smiled that cute, sweet smile at me. "Come and sit with me."

I sat next her on the sofa, leaving space between us. My palms we starting to sweat again, and I was afraid I would drop my cup. There was a tray with a carafe of coffee and a sugar dish, two cups and spoons.

"How do you like your coffee?"

"Normally with three sugars and one cream." I winced a little, expecting her to say something about the well documented dangers of sugar.

"That coffee at BPD needs as much help as it can get. But this is freshly ground, fair trade, organically grown arabica coffee imported from Costa Rica. I used the French press I shipped home from my last visit with my mother. This is good coffee Jane, try it with just one spoonful of sugar first before you pollute it with any more."

She handed me the cup she had prepared for herself and flashed that smile I love. After taking a sip I said, "wow, Maura that's really good. I see why you said I should try it with just one sugar. Thanks."

She looked very pleased with my answer and then added sugar to the other cup before pouring the coffee. "The coffee at the office wouldn't be so bad if somebody would volunteer to wash the pot twice a day. And the drip tray. How often is any of that washed and sanitized?"

"Ummm never, probably. I keep saying I'm gonna stop drinking that sludge, but Old Man Stanley is such a killjoy I'd rather drink what's there than go down to the cafe."

"He is rather grouchy, isn't he?" Maura laughed before she became more serious. "Jane, I had, a great time with you tonight. The opera was amazing, dinner was spectacular… I really enjoyed spending the evening with you. Its been some time since I had substantial conversation with anyone. I really am glad you asked me out. My childhood was not ideal, and my lack of relationships has lasted into adulthood, and… I don't really have friends, so this was really special to me tonight."

My stomach got warm, and not from the coffee. "I'm glad you enjoyed you had a good time with me Maura. I'm not the best at relationships myself, so I get it. My childhood friends are mostly still here in Boston, and we can't help but see each other around. But some of the people I used to be close to don't exactly live within the confines of the law, and that keeps me distant from a lot of people. The kids I grew up with and some of my relatives don't really fit into my lifestyle, ya know. So I get what you're saying, really." I thought for a moment, and decided to continue. "I'm not good at people really. I mean the day to day thing, people I don't have to see again, that's cool. And people I'm always around, like Frost and Korsak and my mother and Frankie, I'm close to them, but I don't keep up with people. My last relationship fell apart because I was too distant from her. I'm chronically emotionally unavailable."

"Is that intentional?"

"I… Yes. I say the wrong things and push people away, or just shut them out completely. I don't return phone calls."

"You hold things in." She said quietly. "You hope people don't notice, or at least don't mention it. Right?"

"How did you come up with that?"

"You haven't said one word about your father, or your other brother. You talk about Frankie with a smile on your face, and you've mentioned your mother several times. You even talked about your grandfather teaching you Italian. But nothing about your father or brother."

"You are very observant, Dr. Isles." I shook my head and smiled at her. She was right. "My baby brother Tommy's in jail, and Pop ran off with a girl younger than me, so… I don't like to talk about it."

"But Jane, that must hurt. Keeping it all in." Her face opened up in a different way. Was that pity?

"Its fine Maura… I should get going, its really late." I turned my body forward and stood up. I hadn't even realized that I had turned towards her while we talked and sipped coffee. I walked to the door.

"Jane, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Its not your fault. Like you told me at dinner, you're not wrong. Don't worry about it." I paused looking at the concern on her face. She narrowed her eyes like she was reading me. I tried to keep my expression as neutral as possible. "Thanks for going out with me. I had a really good time, Maura. The end of the conversation didn't change my experience of our evening together. I hope it didn't ruin your evening either."

"Not at all, Jane. In an odd way, it made it better. I got to see yet another side of the extraordinary Jane Rizzoli. She hurts sometimes." She said with a sad, but pretty smile.

I couldn't hold in the smile that formed in response to hers.

"Yeah, she does. And she sucks at relationships." I chuckled and shook my head.

"And she speaks Italian, and enjoys opera. And she's romantic." She stepped closer to me and her hand twitched like she wanted to touch me.

I reached out and lightly grasped her left hand with my right, and stroked her knuckles with my thumb. "Maybe just a little."

"Oh no, detective. More than just a little." She smiled and her eyes were wide, and felt myself being drawn in again. I had to leave before I did or said something stupid.

I leaned in towards her and kissed her left cheek. Right on that dimple. I breathed her in her perfume before saying goodnight and stepping away. I let her hand go, opened the door and stepped outside.

"Goodnight, Jane."


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for sticking with me folks! I never understood how important reviews can be until I started this story. Feedback is life! **

**Forgive any typos I don't catch. I'm trying to bang chapters out quickly, so I'm not proofreading like I should. And continue to forgive the terrible Italian. Blame the free sites, not me!**

* * *

I drove home in silence, completely absorbed in my thoughts. Maura is… She's fucking awesome. I wanted to kiss her so bad. Her perfume and her eyes, and the fact that she was really into me was driving me bonkers with an energy I didn't recognize. I couldn't wait to get home and relax. It was past 1am when I finally got home, and I felt like a goddamn kid after their birthday party; tired, and happy, and excited still, and I just wanted to call her and tell her again that I had such a good time and talk to her all night. I hope I didn't get too negative when I started talking about my personal life, and her's too for that matter. She didn't seem weirded out, so I guess it was okay. She caught me off guard nailing down some of my emotional stuff, and I hadn't fully recovered yet. I undressed and did pushups until my arms felt like jelly and then collapsed on the floor. My phone vibrated on the coffee table. A text from the woman who inspired this impromptu workout.

_M: Did you get home safely?_

_J: Yeah. Thanks for checking on me._

_M: You're welcome. I truly enjoyed myself with you. I appreciate your efforts. I still can't believe those seats. It was a great date._

_J: I had a great time too._

_J: You wanna go out with me again?  
_

_M: Definitely. Of course._

_J: Can I call you tomorrow?_

_M: Please do._

_J: K great. Goodnight. Talk to you soon._

_M: Goodnight._

I did 50 more pushups before crashing out on the couch.

In the morning I slept in. I still hadn't caught up on the sleep I had been missing out on, so I was wiped. I had stumbled to my bed at some point, and my back didn't suffer a whole night on my old couch. I felt good. Maura was still on my mind. I wondered what she was doing. We know so little about each other. Is she the country club type? Is she playing tennis somewhere? Volunteering with some charity?

I ate a bowl of cereal and watched ESPN. It was the summer drought of professional sports, and I just couldn't get into the soccer craze, so I ended up watching collegiate track and field events. It was still early, and I had technically just texted with Maura less than nine hours ago, so I didn't want to seem too eager. I could wait to call her. So instead I texted Frankie to see if he was up for some basketball.

_J: Morning bro. Hoops?_

_F: Can't. On patrol._

_J: Boo! Stay safe out there._

_F: Yep._

So no hoops with Frankie. Frost was out of town that weekend, and nobody else in my contacts looked appealing that day, so I put on some shorts and a t-shirt and went for a run. I set out from my building with no destination in mind, and took off in a sprint. I ran like somebody was chasing me, and didn't ease up until my lungs burned. I ended up in my old neighborhood, so I ran home like I used to as a kid. My mother was home baking, I could smell cookies before I even reached the front door. I got the key from the loose brick on the porch and let myself in.

"Ma its me!"

"Janie! Look at you, you're so thin. Come eat."

"So nice to see you too, ma. Why are you baking cookies at 11am anyway?"

"I enjoy baking Janie, you know that. What are you up to? I haven't seen you in almost a week. Too busy to see your poor, lonely mother! Sit and eat."

"Ma I've been working. You know we catch cases faster than we can close em." I bit into a warm and gooey cookie.

"You work too much, you and Frankie both. But at least your brother makes time for me." Fussing, as usual.

"Please, ma. Frankie makes time for home cooked meals and laundry service. You're all over me about not making time for criticism and blind date setups."

"Janie how dare you speak to your mother like that? I do not criticize you. Drink your milk!" She placed a glass of milk in front of me.

"But you yell at me about milk, though." I smirked at her.

"Oh Janie, I love you and I just wish you'd come around more." I hate that guilt trip face she makes. "I know its not the same around here but this is still your home, baby. And Tommy really wishes you would come see him he just doesn't know how to ask you."

"Wait a minute. Are you baking these cookies for Tommy? Are you going to see him again?" I stood up and watched my mother get uncomfortable.

"Yes Jane they are. I go visit your brother and I take treats for him and for the guards. I'm very well liked there. They always compliment my baking."

"Right so Frankie gets packed lunches, and Tommy, who's in _jail_ ma, gets cookies. I can't right now ma, I gotta go." I got mad, more angry than I should have been over cookies. My mother brings deep seated frustration out of me, and I hate it.

* * *

I left quickly and my mother didn't even try to stop me. I ran back to my apartment, belly full of milk and cookies, and heart a little beat up. My mother had treated me like an adult since I was 11 and still constantly baby's my brothers. I could get over how she treated Frankie; he's always been a good kid, and he really is a mama's boy, sweet but spoiled. But the way she still doted on Tommy bothered me to no end. That boy's been a knucklehead since junior high, and she has never held him accountable. I was forced to take responsibility for any-little-thing I did, and even shit that my brothers did. But Tommy was victim to the devil on his shoulder, bad influences, and whatever the hell else since we were kids. Nothing was ever his fault. Even driving drunk and going to jail for hitting a priest, _our_ priest, with _my car, _that he fucking stole, wasn't his fault.

I needed a shower and a beer. After a 20 minute shower spent scrubbing every inch of my body I splayed out across my bed in boyshorts and a sports bra. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, determined to not move any body part other than my hand to get it. I wanted to hear Maura's voice. I'd been wanting to hear it since I left her house, honestly. I called her. The phone rang four times before I hung up. I hate leaving messages, so I didn't even pretend that I was going to. I dozed off soon after, that run catching up with me. Didn't even get that beer I wanted.

I woke up to something buzzing under my arm. My phone was vibrating. I hadn't slept long, and was feeling grumpy and thirsty but when my eyes could focus on my phone, those details mattered a lot less. It was her.

"Hi, Maura." My voice was a bit rough, moreso than usual.

"Hello, Jane. I'm sorry I missed your call earlier." Her voice was like a song.

"No worries. How are you?"

"Fantastic. I just finished yoga, and I was able to hold position longer than I could previously."

"Yoga, huh? I was wondering what kinda stuff you'd be into." Yoga, stretching and breathing deeply, and a flexible body. I liked that idea much more than tennis.

"You were?" She sounded surprised.

"Yeah… So yoga is your thing?"

"You could say that. I don't beat up punching bags, but I exercise several times a week, mostly yoga. I find it very relaxing."

"Relaxing sounds good right about now." I nearly mumbled.

"Are you experiencing stress? You sound like you were resting. Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"I had just fallen asleep after a run. You're fine, Maura. I'm glad you called… I wanted to talk to you."

"Is that so, detective?" She flirted with me. I could damn near see her smile in my head.

"Yeah I had been looking forward to speaking with you. I wanted to say again that I really enjoyed our date last night."

"So did I, Jane. When can you make yourself available to me again?"

She had no idea how much I wanted to see her. "You might be able to convince me to join you… whenever you want." I laughed at myself. I didn't want to come off as desperate, but I really didn't have much of a social calendar, and I wanted to see her again. Why pretend?

Maura laughed gently with me. "I'll keep that in mind…. What's gotten you stressed, detective?" She didn't let me off the hook.

I told Maura about my visit home, and all about Tommy's difficulty with staying out of trouble. People who know my family knew about Tommy's repeated numbskull adventures. My aunts and my mother's cousins gossiped about it constantly. The neighborhood ladies forget their own family issues by talking about everybody else's. But I never talked about my youngest brother, except for with Frankie sometimes. That kid had been fucking up since he gulped down the sacramental wine at his First Communion. I told Maura stories from years ago, and ended with how my stomach was churning when I was halfway home after running with chocolate chip cookies and whole milk sloshing around in there.

"So your mother sees no fault in Tommy's behavior? She must choose to not believe it, or refuse to see her youngest as anything but good. Studies have shown that youngest children often mature at slower rates than their older siblings, and tend to be less responsible into adulthood."

"Sounds like Tommy. That's my little brother."

"Eldest children, however, often display high levels of maturity and accountability at young ages. As do only children. They are often over achievers."

"You're an only child, aren't you Maura?"

"I learned recently that I had a younger half brother, but I was raised an only child, yes."

"Whoa… Had?"

"Yes. Just before being promoted to Chief, I performed an autopsy on a John Doe who happened to share my DNA. We shared genes inherited paternally. That man lying on my table had the same father as me."

"Wow, Maura. That must have been one hell of a day at the office."

"Yes it was. I took a few days off to collect my thoughts after that. And about two weeks later I got a call informing me that I had been appointed Chief, and that I could choose where I work. I decided that BPD with its heavy traffic and newly remodeled lab would be the best place for me."

"Wait so all that just happened within the last what, two months?" Her family was just as strange as mine.

"Three. The lab wasn't fully up to par, so I insisted on upgrades that delayed my transition."

"Oh so you're the reason we had contractors and movers crawling all over the place." I teased her with a playfulness I didn't anticipate.

"Yes, detective, that was my fault."

We talked until my phone died about any and everything that came to mind. I couldn't get enough of her.

* * *

Later that night Frankie came over, unannounced and with bags of food. There was lasagne and gnocchi and roasted chicken and all kinds of other dishes. And cookies. He had clearly been by ma's.

"Janie ma made all this food for you. She told me what happened." My brother looked tired, still in his uniform.

"She what?"

"She made all this food for you!" He yelled. "You heard me the first time."

I was shocked to say the least. When I ran outta the house I thought she wouldn't even wanna see me anytime soon, let alone cook for me.

"That mother of ours, Frankie, she's something ain't she?"

"Yeah and she told me you were upset. You know how ma is, she can't help herself when it comes to Tommy. Cut her some slack."

"I just wish she would make him grow up. And she needs to cut me some damn slack since you brought it up."

"She knows that you're mad alright? Does that make you feel better? No, it doesn't. So quit your belly aching and get some plates out. I'm starving."

"Don't act like she didn't make you spaghetti and hot sausage. You better had brought me some, you greedy fucker."

We ate and drank beer until Frankie had to leave. He was was still working the shit shifts, so he needed his rest. I separated the food he brought over into smaller containers and put most of them in the freezer. Food for the foreseeable future was enough reason for me to call my mother. She wasn't home, so I forced myself to leave a message. If I didn't she'd be calling me back expecting an apology that I really just wasn't gonna give her. So I just said, "Thanks for the food ma, I really appreciate it. See you at Sunday dinner." It was enough since I would see her the very next day.

The greasiest greaseball I had even known was at Sunday dinner. Giovanni was a neighborhood kid we grew up with, and was the dumbest kid in class. He started in my class, but by graduation he was Frankie's classmate, and two years behind. He was built like a grown man by the time we were 12, and the girls always liked him. Well, they liked his body. Giovanni even worked for my pop one summer; he was supposed to be a junior plumber's assistant, learning the basics of the trade. Instead he ended up boning the daughter of one of pop's best customers, and almost cost Rizzoli and Sons a Rizzoli when the girl blamed Frankie for her pregnancy. Frankie was still a virgin, but was chased down the middle of the street by a belligerent father with a wrench for knocking up his princess. I kicked Giovanni's ass every time I saw him for the rest of the summer. The following spring we all found out the baby wasn't even his.

In the kitchen during dinner my mother asked me what I thought about Greasy Giovanni.

"You know I've never forgiven him for almost getting Frankie killed by old Mr. Carducci."

"He's so handsome though Jane, you two would make such beautiful grandbabies for me and Francesca!" My mother just doesn't stop. The food was a peace offering, but she just wasn't getting it.

"Ma Francesca probably already has grandbabies that she doesn't even know about. Giovanni is a pig. AND I DON'T LIKE BOYS MA! You _know_ that!"

"Lower your voice! _Il mio dio _Janie!" *my god* "Have pity on your old mother and don't curse me to live into my elder years without grandchildren! This phase doesn't have to mean anything, sweetie. You'll find a nice man, maybe not Giovanni. Maybe somebody else. Joey Grant is a handsome Irish boy, and a police officer like you."

"Ma, don't, alright. I'm sorry for raising my voice, but I'm gonna leave now. Thanks for dinner." I felt like shit, and not because I yelled at my mother.

"Jane! Come back here and finish your dinner! Don't leave like this Janie!" She called after me, but I was set on getting the hell out of there.

I left without another word and sped home, breaking speed limits the entire way. How could she still act like that? Phase? I went straight home and slammed the door. My clothes ended up in a pile by my bedroom door, and I buried myself under the covers. I cried until I fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Longer chapter this time. Feedback!**

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Six days went by in a blur of sludge coffee, crime scenes and pavement. Korsak, Frost and I started the week tracking down Stacey Watkins, who had vanished when her deceased husband's brother was killed in February. A gang related turf war caught Stacey between her brother-in-law and her boyfriend. Stacey and Terence married when he was 30 and she was 17 and everybody who knew them thought it was weird, but they seemed happy. After Terence died in an accident, Stacey stayed close to his younger brother, and the rest of the family. Terence had died two years before his brother was killed. We investigated the murder of Chris Watkins, Terence's little brother and were led down a dozen roads, none of which were fruitful. Stacey was supposed to be moved into protective custody, since she was cooperating with the investigation, but she left town. She had called and told Korsak she was coming in to go over her statement, and then disappeared. Nobody seemed to know where she went. I hadn't spoken to Maura in days, and only texted enough for her to know that I was okay. She was worried about me, and not just because of the case. When I didn't reply to her texts Sunday night, she figured that something had happened between my mother and I.

_M: Did you go to dinner at your mother's house last night? Did something happen?_

_J: Yes, and yes, but I can't get into that right now. Working a big case. Text you when I can._

I didn't want to shut Maura out, but I couldn't afford distractions. I was focused. No ma, no Tommy, and unfortunately, no Maura. No Frankie either; he's not working this case, and none of our targets are in his zone. I sent one more text before I went on with the case.

_J: Thanks for checking up on me. _

_M: Of course. Catch the bad guys._

We found Stacey at her grandmother's house, at a baby shower thrown in her honor. When we walked in Stacey immediately started crying. She willingly went to the station to talk away from her family. She told us that she couldn't bear to help us catch the guy who killed Chris because it was her ex-boyfriend, and it was her fault. She knew she was pregnant but no one else did, so she left to protect her baby.

After Terence died Stacey hooked up with a man named Mark Richardson, who hated Chris and wanted his turf. She said Mark wasn't into street shit before, but he got the idea to sneak in like Chris did, and steal a shipment and sell it to the corner boys cheap. When Chris heard about his rivals being tapped to rob his connect he froze all transactions, so nobody had any income. Mark had violently taken out his frustration on Stacey, who ran to her brother-in-law for solace and ended up sleeping with him, and telling him she thought Mark was up to something. When she came clean to Mark he snapped, confronted Chris, and shot him point blank. Chris's crew had kept tabs on Stacey; she was their boss's family and they knew she had a boyfriend with an anger issue. So when Chris was killed, they went after Mark. Stacey ran away and was never coming back until she realized that the baby she carried had to be Chris's child and not Mark's. After a few months she figured it was safe to come home, as Chris's crew controlled the streets and she had the last piece of him that would ever exist.

Homicide and the Drug Unit spent the next few days plotting on Mark Richardson's killers. The Drug Unit already had a guy infiltrating their gang, and our murder charges would be enough to snag the key players without having to wait for a drug deal to go down. When hit with these charges, plus the other dirt we got from Stacey the lower level guys who actually killed Richardson would give up their mid-level bosses, which would help our colleagues reel in the bigger fish. Stacey gave us a sworn statement, and told us where we could find drugs stashed by both Chris and Mark's crews. After crying and spilling her guts she told us she just wanted it to be over, and only cared about her unborn son's safety.

Everything went really fast, and SWAT hit three separate targets simultaneously, with homicide and drug unit detectives going in with them. These guys were gangsters though, and put up a fight. Shots were fired at two sites. Two sites were rundown buildings with bricks and powder stashed inside walls and under floorboards, and mostly lower level guys who tried to stand their ground. Mark's ragtag crew ended up with six guys in custody. Two were in a house, with one gun between them. Punk ass kids who didn't know any better. The other site was an apartment building with four guys, one of them was a major target of the drug unit, and they made a break for it. SWAT let them run down the alley shooting until they ran out of ammunition, and then took them down easily. The gangsters were totally outgunned; they got some shots off though, which added attempted murder of a police officer to their charges.

Our team was at one of Chris Watkins's spots. Korsak and I were in position at the back door of an abandoned house, SWAT at the lead. "Boston Police!" Boom! The door was knocked clean off the hinges. The same shout and boom came from the front of the house, where Frost was. BPD flooded inside, shouting for anyone present to raise their hands. I swept to the left, Korsak went right, and we cleared our area. The SWAT guys went further in and we followed them upstairs. The floorboards were weak, and I briefly wondered if they could hold all of us at the same time. I fucking hoped so. I heard the floor groan behind Korsak, who was three feet to my left, and I knew something bad was about to happen.

One of Stacey's guests at the baby shower must have spooked Chris's gang. The surveillance the drug guys had going reported less traffic around the house that we targeted, and they didn't try to move the product out. They looked to be trying to cut their losses with that house. One of their guys who had fallen out of the boss's good graces thought that if he held down the fort and survived, he'd be square with the gang. So he stayed alone at the boarded up stash house to protect the drugs there, hidden behind a narrow door. SWAT shouted the all clear, and before I could exhale there was a movement behind Korsak. I lunged towards him to get him down and heard a loud blast. Jimmy in the Drug Unit popped the guy in the shoulder before he could get a shot off, and the perp screamed as the round tore through him. Korsak was fine, and the only guy who got shot that day deserved it.

"Jimmy, man are you quick with that 12 gauge. Thanks brother." Korsak shook his hand, and clapped his shoulder in gratitude. That could have been something terrible. Jimmy just grinned.

"Great shot Jimmy. Drinks on me tonight." I clasped our hands together and squeezed.

"Shit yeah Rizzoli."

Korsak isn't officially my partner, he's actually my superior, but him and Frost and me are a team. I relied on my reflexes to get us both down and believed that somebody with a badge would react offensively. I was glad that it was Jimmy, we came through the academy together. He saved us, and I was gonna get him drunk as shit to show him that I appreciated it.

The dummy who almost ruined our day was taken to the hospital. He was gonna live, but his shoulder was torn to pieces. He'd never be the same. I gotta get Jimmy to help me with my aim with shot guns. I'm amongst the best marksmen in all of BPD with small arms, but could tighten up a bit with the heavy artillery.

We all had to give statements regarding the shooting, and were whisked back to headquarters immediately. My adrenalin was pumping viciously and I could hardly sit still during my statement. I didn't have much to say; I sensed trouble, heard the floor groan, saw the guy, and got me and Korsak down as quickly as I could. I heard a shot, then heard the guys yell for an ambulance for the suspect, and was pulled up off the floor and reassured by my colleagues. Internal Affairs made us repeat our stories several times, a fucking interrogation if you ask me, and we were sent home for a few days. Cavanaugh ordered us to not come to work for at least two days. Jimmy was on mandatory leave since he fired his weapon, but it was a clean shot so he would be fine.

* * *

I needed to burn off some energy so I went to the gym. I wrapped my hands before I walked in; I didn't give a damn who was using the equipment. Frankie was working out, and saw me come in. He stopped me before I even saw him.

"You good? I heard what happened." His eyebrows were furrowed and he spoke quietly.

"I need to hit something. Right now." I walked away from him without another word.

"Meet me in the ring. Give me five minutes!" Frankie was already running towards the door, shouting over his shoulder.

I went over to the small boxing ring, and told the rookies who were sparring to beat it. "Hey I need the ring. You guys gotta go."

"Who the fuck are you? We're boxing here!" A kid about four inches shorter than me mumbled around his mouthguard.

"I'm the bitch who's using the ring now." I climbed up the steps and stepped between the ropes, invading his space. "And you're fucking leaving."

"You gotta be kidding me! Who the hell are you to tell us to leave?" The other kid caught up to what was going on.

I was ready for a fight, and these guys looked like dinner and dessert. I started stretching my arms and rotating my shoulders, hoping Frankie was moving faster than this altercation.

"Yo get the fuck outta here! What the hell are you do-"

"Fletcher, Wilson, out! Now!" Sergeant Martinez came out of nowhere, and called out to the rookies. "If a detective needs the ring, she needs the fucking ring. Get out and suit up. Special project."

Martinez gave me a slight head nod, and walked away. He was on one of the other sites for the bust, and knew that I needed the outlet. Martinez could be a real asswipe, but he's a good cop. Frankie missed all the action, but came back with our boxing gear. He went all the way to my car to get the duffle bag, so it took him a few minutes. Headgear, mouthguards, and gloves on, we went to work. Frankie and I had been fighting each other since we were kids, and he's the only person who really understood that when I needed to purge something that's weighing me down, nothing works better than boxing.

Frankie got in the ring with me and asked, "you think those dipshits know that 'special project' means getting coffee for the entire squad?" My brother had a rough rookie year, and had a lot of special projects. Hitting the heavy bag is good, and I even had one of those boxing dummies at home, but nothing is like going three minute rounds with an actual person. Frankie let me go to work on him, and gave me some competition for the next 45 minutes or so. I was beyond tired when I finally got back to my desk to get my stuff.

I had seven missed calls. One was from Frankie who was looking for me before he saw me in the gym. Frost was checking up on me. Jimmy called to tell me his wife wasn't letting him out of her sight, and we could get drinks one day soon. My mother called twice because she heard about the shooting, and left two very annoying messages that I deleted within the first few words she said. And one call was from Maura. She left a message I listened to.

"Hi, Jane. I heard that there was a bit of trouble during the bust today, but I know that you were not harmed, so... Well, I just wanted to see how you are. Please call me. Even if its late, okay? Alright… Bye."

I grabbed my badge and gun from my drawer and went to the parking garage. It was just after nine o'clock. I sat in my car and called her. She answered after just one ring. "Jane, hi." She sounded nervous but relieved too.

"Hey Maura." There was a pause. I listened to her shallow breathing and closed my eyes. "I got your message."

"Where are you? Are you alright?" Her voice was soothing and I kept my eyes closed.

"I'm in my car, haven't left work yet… I'm okay Maura. We all made it out intact today."

"Jane do you want to come over? I have a bottle of wine I've been wanting to open, and…" She paused for a moment, "And I want to see you. With my own eyes."

I wanted to see her, and I wouldn't deny her if she wanted to see me. "Let me go home and shower and I'll be over."

"I could meet you at your house, Jane. Or you can shower here. I can accommodate you instead of you going out of your way. You must be exhausted, Jane." She's so sweet, and I really do want to get settled in for a while and not have to move.

"What are you wearing?"

"I-I'm sorry, I mean-" Maura sputtered before I realized what I said.

"I meant to ask if you were already in your pajamas or not. I'm sorry Maura." I chuckled at myself and her too.

"Oh of course. Um, yes, I have. I completed my nighttime routine about 35 minutes ago."

"Alright I'll come to you then. I keep an overnight bag in my trunk so, if you're sure you don't mind me showering at your house-"

"I'm sure. Are you leaving now?" She sure did sound sure.

"Yeah, give me 20 minutes to get there."

* * *

I pulled into her driveway and got my bag out of the trunk. Maura appeared at her front door and let me in without any words exchanged. When she closed and locked the door she turned to me and said my name in that way that makes me smile.

"Jane, I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too."

"You look so tired, Jane, have you eaten?"

"I'm really beat and no, not much. Don't know how I'm still standing to tell the truth."

She was barefoot, and wearing a short robe. It was tied closed and I couldn't tell what she was wearing under it, but her legs are bare. She smelled good and her hair was in a loose ponytail, and her toenails were painted a pale pink. Her face was clear, her makeup washed away, and freckles were so fucking cute. She looked beautiful.

"Come on, Jane. I'll show you to the guest bathroom." She turned towards the stairs.

"I laid out towels for you, and the bodywash in the shower has herbal ingredients to help soothe you. There's lavender and chamomile in it, and, well forgive me, but its not a new bottle. I thought you might like it, so I brought it from my bathroom." She scrunched her face, embarrassed. Over offering me a bottle of body wash that wasn't brand new. I thought it was so cute.

"I'm gonna use it. Thanks for sharing it with me."

"You can use the guest room if you want to. I'll be in the living room when you're done."

"Thanks Maura. For opening your home to me tonight."

She just smiled at me, that smile that makes her face light up, and walked back down the hallway. The guest room was bigger than my bedroom, and was tastefully decorated. Nothing particularly telling was present in the room, but I guess that isn't abnormal for a guest room. The bathroom was much like the bedroom, muted colors and unassuming; just clean and kinda sterile. I used the bodywash Maura left for me, and it was amazing. Whatever mojo they put in that stuff was working because I felt relaxed and sleepy. The steamy bathroom smelled like Maura. My skin smelled like her.

In my bag I had sweats and a t-shirt, and black slacks and a v-neck. This was my 'just-in-case' bag, work clothes and comfy clothes, just in case I needed something to wear ASAP. I didn't even consider my work clothes, and after my shower I put on my comfortable sweats. I found Maura in the living room drinking tea, and joined her on the sofa.

"I have salad, or I can make you a sandwich, Jane. I'm afraid I don't have any meat or fish thawed to cook for you, but I could make you vegetable stir-fry or some-"

"Maura don't trouble yourself. I'll be fine."

"Do you want a drink? Would you like to try the wine I told you about."

"Actually, Maura, I'm not sure I would be good company if I drank any wine. I'd probably relax right into a deep sleep."

"That would be fine, Jane. I know you had an especially taxing day, and must be craving sleep right now."

I wasn't craving sleep, but the way she said my name was making me crave her.

"I swear I didn't feel this tired when I talked to you earlier. Maybe I should go before I get too sleepy."

"No, Jane. You can't drive if you're too tired. I knew that when I asked you to come over that you might need to rest before leaving. I understand though if you're not comfortable staying here." She looked sad, and her sad face made me feel sad. She wants me here.

"These are my comfortable clothes. I'm very comfortable with you. I'm not running off into the night, not now."

She beamed that killer smile again. "Do you want to talk about today?"

That question made me like her even more than I already did. She asked if I wanted to talk about my day. Not 'what happened today?' But do I want to talk about it. I knew she wanted to know what happened, but she was concerned with my comfort. Did I want to talk about my day with her? Of course I did. I'd want to tell her about my day even if all I did was paperwork. I told her everything.

"So the suspect was in a hall closet, crammed in there, and your friend Jimmy shot him before he could get his trajectory right to shot either you or Sergeant Detective Korsak? My goodness, Jane. Today could have potentially been awful!" Her hand went to her chest. She's such a girl, her mannerisms are so feminine. "Were you wearing a bulletproof vest?"

"Of course, not only is it BPD policy, but in that kind of situation its non-negotiable. You never know what could happen with these guys." She looked so relieved.

"What happened in the gym this evening? I heard two young officers complaining about you using very offensive language."

I told Maura about my evicting the rookies from the boxing ring and slugging it out with Frankie. She had that thinking look about her. She squinted at me and tilted her head.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you studying me, doctor?"

She flushed bright red. "I'm sorry I just can't help the direction my thoughts go when I draw conclusions and formulate consequential questions."

"What conclusion have you come to? What are you wondering about me?"

She looked away from me and down. I caught her, and she was embarrassed. "I don't think I should say." She bit her bottom lip and continued looking down.

I felt my body temperature rise and the tension in the room was like molasses; It was thick and sweet and had been slowly creeping in since I listened to the voicemail she left me hours ago. I was glad we weren't drinking that wine. But I needed something to drink, my throat felt dry and I was suddenly very thirsty.

I cleared my throat and asked for water to douse the heat that I felt moving down my spine. Maura went into the kitchen and I used the diversion to try to get myself together. The attraction between us is too much. Its dangerous. I shouldn't have come here.

I followed her into the kitchen and watched her get a bottle of water and a glass. She poured it for me and my eyes tracked her every movement. When she handed me the glass our fingers touched and I knew then that I couldn't resist her tonight. I needed to feel her tonight. She pulled her hand away and covered it with her other hand in front of her. It was trembling, and her eyes were wide and focused on me. She felt it and she looked scared. I put my glass down, without taking a sip, and reached for her hand. She didn't look away. Her delicate fingers were perfectly manicured, and she wasn't wearing any jewelry. I ran my thumb over her knuckles, like I did the night of our date, and she smiled as if she instantly thought of that night. My other hand gently touched the side of her face and I stepped fully into her personal space. Maura closed her eyes as my thumb stroked the dimple I kissed that night, and I drew in a slow breath, pulling her smell through my lungs. I quickly licked my lips and tenderly kissed her, still holding her hand and caressing her face. Maura pressed her lips to mine and tilted her head just slightly, and then pressed again. My grip on her hand shifted and our fingers tangled around each other. I couldn't believe how relieved I felt to finally kiss her. Her soft lips parted just enough for me to feel her smooth teeth touch my lips. She was smiling.

I pulled back for just a moment to look her her pretty face. Maura smiled and reached out for me, her free hand landing on my stomach. We both gasped quietly at the touch and I leaned into her for more. She kissed me again and parted her lips, and her tongue touched my bottom lip softly. Our fingers fully laced together and we opened ourselves more to each other. I tasted the tea she was drinking and felt her whimper before I heard it. The kiss slowed as our hands gripped tighter and ended with soft, barely there meetings of our lips.

Neither of us moved away from the close proximity, seemingly unwilling to separate from each other. My hand never left her face, and hers was still pressed gently to my stomach. I used my thumb to stroke her dimple again and she leaned into the touch. I reluctantly released our joined hands, after squeezing hers softly, and put my arm around her waist. Maura mirrored my movement and slid her hand around my torso to put both arms around me. All I wanted in that moment was to feel her body against mine. So we stood in her kitchen in our first embrace.


	9. Chapter 9

As her arms tightened around my waist I slid my hand from her face around to the back of her head. I gently pulled the hair tie to release her ponytail and trailed my fingers up her neck and into the hair at the base of her head. Maura's body was flush against mine, her face tucked in close, forehead on my shoulder turned toward me. I closed my eyes and just felt her. Her body was so soft. Her breasts were pressed against my ribs and my arm rested on the curve of her hip. We were still, and our breaths came in synch. It felt like the world had stopped spinning. Maura lifted her head to press a kiss my jaw and then resumed her position. My fingertips touched her scalp and she sighed contently while squeezing me gently.

After a few minutes of standing in her kitchen just enjoying the feel of each other, she suggested that we return to the living room. She moved just slightly away from me and spoke softly, "Come sit with me. Bring your water." We went back to the living room, Maura leading me by the hand, and sat on the sofa. She sat next to me but turned her head slightly away, biting her lip bashfully. I couldn't stop looking at her and I just knew the look on my face wasn't sexy. I felt goosepimply and nervous, and excited and I just wanted to kiss her some more. I tugged on her hand, pulling her closer with our still linked fingers. Her body leaned towards me but she didn't turn her face until I loosened my grip and started playing with fingers. I manipulated her fingers with mine, and she finally looked up at me. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth.

"Maura, come closer."

She shifted closer and her body heat was taunting me. I intertwined our fingers again and smiled at her, and those gold green eyes were on me. She was blushing and her lip went back between her teeth. She leaned in and kissed me again, and we spent the next few minutes extending our first kiss experience. My lips slid over hers and she deepened our kiss timidly. My teeth softly met her bottom lip, and she took a sharp breath before I released it. Maura teased my tongue with hers and then pulled back, smiling. It wasn't a lusty make-out session, our tongues weren't at war, we were simply enjoying each other's kiss. It was gentle, and ended with a press of lips to the corner of her mouth. She leaned back slightly, maintaining our closeness, and pushed my hair behind my ear.

"I thought I wouldn't ever get to kiss you." She smiled at me and her gaze went to my mouth for a second before returning to my eyes.

"You mean you didn't ask me to come over tonight for kisses?" I teased her.

"I really wanted to see you tonight, Jane. You've been on my mind quite a bit, and I was worried about you today."

"I wanted to kiss you that night, you know." My voice was a whisper.

"And you knew I wanted you to do it. Why didn't you?" She kept biting her lip and I didn't want to talk about kissing anymore. I wanted her.

I leaned into her again and whispered, "No first date kissing," right before I kissed her cheek, on that same spot again.

She giggled, the sound making me smile widely. "How chivalrous of you, Jane. I was right about you, you know? You're very romantic. You brought flowers when you first came over, you pulled out my chair at dinner and you're sitting here holding my hand. A girl could get used to this."

"I like you. I like the way I feel around you, and I want you to enjoy the time we spend together." I didn't plan on saying any of that, but it just leaked out of me. I couldn't control it.

"Will you stay with me tonight? Its late, and I want you to stay. You can sleep in the guestroom. We can watch a movie." She looked unsure of herself, and spoke quietly.

I didn't want to leave, and I told her so. "I'll stay tonight. I wanna stay… What movie are we watching?"

Maura wanted to watch some movie with subtitles, and I didn't really care. I just wanted to be near her. She reminded me to drink the glass of water that I asked for almost an hour ago. She sat close to me, tucking her legs under her, and leaned her head on my shoulder. She threaded her fingers between mine again. I couldn't remember when I last felt so relaxed. After a little while I started to get sleepy. Maura noticed and nudged me. She sat up and said my name.

"Jane, do you want to lie down?"

I didn't want to leave her, but my exhaustion was getting the best of me. She must have been reading my face, because she turned the TV off and stood up. She pulled me upstairs by the hand, and told me to lie down on the bed. Maura dimmed the light so the room was almost totally dark, and laid down next to me.

"Close your eyes."

My eyes felt gritty with sleepiness, and closing them felt good. We were both lying on our backs, and I felt Maura shift. When she spoke again I knew that she was facing me.

"I'm so glad that you're safe. I was at a scene and heard that shots were fired at the bust. By the time I got back to the office the word was a suspect was shot and no officers were injured. I was really worried, and it surprised me."

I opened my eyes to look at her. "Is that good or bad?"

"I want to explore this connection that I feel with you, Jane. I did not expect to feel this way, but its good. I know we're still getting to know each other. I don't want to rush anything. But that kiss…" She bit her bottom lip though a smile. That could be one of my favorite smiles.

"Yeah. That kiss was… special."

"Yes it was." She gave me that smile again and said, "Close your eyes. You're blinking so rapidly because your eyes are fatigued. I won't leave unless you ask me too."

I closed my eyes again, they did hurt. "I'm gonna fall asleep. Soon."

"You should have been asleep hours ago. I was being selfish and wanted some of your time. Don't try to stay awake."

"Will you stay with me?" I didn't want her to leave my side.

"Yes, Jane."

She adjusted the pillows and covers, and got comfortable and then said, "Come here."

I pried my heavy eyelids open and looked at her. I leaned up for a lingering kiss and put my head on her shoulder. "Thank you, Maura."

She whispered goodnight, and ran her fingers through my hair until I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up in that same position, my head on Maura's silk robe, my body tucked into her side. There wasn't any light peaking through the pale curtains, so it must have still been dark outside. She was sleeping. Her breathing was slow and deep, and that and the warmth of her body was enough to lull me back to sleep. I woke up some time later to Maura calling my name and stroking my hair. Her voice was clear but soft and her touch was firm.

"Jane, wake up. Its okay, you're dreaming. You need to wake up."

My arm was around her waist and I was gripping her tightly. I woke up and let her go. My voice was rough.

"Maura? Oh my God, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" I must have had a nightmare. Damn it.

"I'm fine, Jane. Good morning." She smiled, and I realized that I had just spent the night with her holding me and I had a fucking nightmare, and it didn't feel weird. She wasn't freaked out. She didn't leave.

"Good morning, Maura." I couldn't keep a smile from spreading across my face. She was so beautiful. Her hair was a bit messy and her lips were dry, and she was still so beautiful. "I like the way you look in the morning."

That earned me that bright smile of hers, and a kiss to my forehead. "You're sweet."

I pulled away from her, put my feet on the floor and stretched my arms above my head. I was facing the door, my back to Maura. "You must need to get ready for work." I didn't turn to face her when I spoke, didn't want her to see the disappointment I knew would be visible on my face.

"Actually I don't need to. I can go in later, or work from home today." She moved behind me and reached for my hand. "I don't have any autopsies scheduled today." Her feet lowered next to mine on the carpet. "Do you want breakfast?" My stomach growled at the thought of food.

"So yes to breakfast." She laughed.

"Yeah," I laughed with her. "I'm famished."

"Jane, famine is a severe regional or geographical depletion of food, and is a chronic failure of civilization. Developed countries are morally and ethically obligated to assist in instances of famine, but often do not. There have been numerous human rights campaigns targeting famine in war torn regions around the world." She looked away with a slight blush when she saw me smiling at her.

"Feed me then. You're ethically obligated to." I smirked at her and she just grinned.

We separated to do morning bathroom stuff, and Maura was already cracking and whisking eggs by the time I reached the kitchen. I wanted to help her cook but she wouldn't let me, so I poured the coffee and watched her move around the kitchen. We ate and chatted pleasantly, Maura asking me questions about why I became a police officer and what the academy was like. She seemed genuinely interested in my stories. She laughed and asked questions and her eyes were sparkling in the sunlight that came through the windows. I needed to leave. I was enjoying this too much.

"I should get going Maura. I'm sure you have things you gotta get done."

Her smile vanished. "I suppose I do have reports to review and research to complete."

I just wanted to see that smile again, but I absolutely needed to leave her house before I dragged her back into her guestroom and made use of that bed. Before I started talking too much, or too little. Before I was too far gone to leave her presence.

We loaded the dishwasher in tandem like we did before, accidentally creating a breakfast routine of sorts. When everything had been cleaned up I went back to the guestroom to get my stuff. I put my sneakers on and crammed yesterday's clothes into my bag. Maura appeared in the doorway.

"Jane, you don't have to go." She looked disappointed. "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go. But I should. I don't want to ruin it."

"You wouldn't ruin anything… But I understand what you mean." Her voice was quiet.

I took her hand and led her to her own front door. She gripped my hand tightly as we stood near the door, and looked at me with her eyes wide. She wasn't pouting, but it was damn close, and it was so adorable. I couldn't do anything but pull her to me and put my arms around her.

"Last time you kissed me on the cheek." She said with a smirk.

"Last time was our first date."

"What about now?"

"Now I'm gonna kiss your forehead." I teased her. She pulled back and dropped her arms from around me. I put my hands on each side of her face and gently kissed her soft lips. Her hands came to rest on my forearms, and she turned her head. Her nose rubbed against mine and her mouth opened for more. She tasted like coffee. Her tongue touched mine and she let out a quiet moan. My knees felt a little weak so I pulled back and stroked her face with both of my hands.

"Call me later?" I gazed into those eyes.

"Of course."

I kissed her lips one last time before finally kissing her forehead, and opening the door to leave.


	10. Chapter 10

I went home to my little apartment and looked around. There seemed to always be a case that keeps me away from home, and I'm only there long enough to nap, shower, and change clothes. The clothes I wore two days ago had been left in the bathroom, and outfits from previous days were randomly deposited around the apartment. I straightened up and sorted my laundry, most of it leftover from last week. My mother had called several more times since yesterday, and had eventually stopped leaving messages. She knew I wasn't hurt so she wasn't expressing general motherly concern, she was just being annoying. Its not like I got shot and nobody told her. I knew what the messages said without listening to them. 'Janie I wish you would get a normal job. Janie you'll never get a husband with such a dangerous job. Janie you can't even call your poor mother back?' I'd heard it all before. I only called her to prevent her from coming to my apartment.

"Hey, ma."

"Oh Janie, you're alive!"

"Yes ma, no cops were hurt yesterday. I know Frankie told you."

"Your brother is the only one who keeps me in the loop."

"Well if I was hurt or dead, somebody from BPD or the hospital would inform you."

"Don't talk like that Jane! _dio in cielo _*God in heaven* my only daughter has a death wish!"

I felt the dramatics coming. "Ma, I'm fine okay? No cops were hurt. I don't have a death wish. I'm a police officer, my job is dangerous, but I'm always careful."

"I know you're careful, but can you call me next time?" She had calmed down a bit.

"Only if you promise to stop giving me a hard time about my job."

"I'll do my best."

"Okay ma, I'll take that." It was a start.

"Are you working today? Come over for lunch, I'll make chicken and gnocchi."

She knows how to get me. "I'm doing laundry today. I'll come over later."

"I'm your mother Janie, bring your 12 loads of laundry and visit with me for a little while."

My ma was on her best behavior during my visit home, and she made one of my favorite meals. I stayed for a while and did 4 loads of laundry. My mother wasn't malicious with her meddling, but that didn't mean it wasn't a pain in my ass. She knew how much I loved my job, but was worried like most moms would be. I didn't bring up any non-police related issues I had with her that day, and neither did she. I got a call from Jimmy while I was home, and told him to stop by and then we could go for a beer. My mother always liked Jimmy, and when I told her it was him who took care of that creep for us, she insisted that he stop by. She fed him two plates of gnocchi before we left and made him promise to come for Sunday dinner soon.

It was still early but we headed for the Dirty Robber, and I called Korsak to see if he could meet us. Jimmy and I sat in a booth near the back and ordered a pitcher for the table. Jimmy Russo was a Southie kid who grew up running in the streets. He joined the academy because as a young man he figured if he was gonna be dealing with cops anyway, he might as well be on the right side of the law. We were classmates in the academy and Jimmy always was a good guy. Korsak made it to the bar and three of us proceeded to get midday drunk. Four rounds of shots and three pitchers later Frost joined us at the bar.

"What a bunch of slackers. These two degenerates are drunk half the time anyway, but you, old man? I'm shocked." Frost shook his head at us.

"Just 'cause you look like a schoolboy doesn't mean you get to be sober, Barold. Next round is on you." I was a bit tipsy, but I have a cop's liver.

Frost went to the bar and came back with two rounds of tequila and a bowl of lime wedges. We toasted to Jimmy, and then to his shotgun. I remembered to ask him if he could hit the shooting range with me so I could work on my aim.

"Yeah Jane, we can meet up at the range." Jimmy was always willing to help. He loved being a cop and wanted us all to be at the top of our game.

"You mean when Mrs. Russo lets him off the leash." Frost said as he gulped down the last of his beer.

"Aw Frost you're just jealous. That boyish face of yours hasn't gotten you a girl since you made detective." Jimmy ribbed him.

"I told you to keep the beard, kid." Korsak got in on it. We went on drinking and poking fun at each other, and before we knew it we were drunk. Korsak was the only one sober enough to drive himself home, so I called Frankie to play taxi. After I hung up with my brother I realized that Maura had texted me several hours ago.

_M: I couldn't focus at home, so I came to the office after all. I'll be leaving in a few hours. Can I take you to dinner?_

I was already feeling warm from the alcohol I had been drinking, but just the thought of seeing Maura again made my body get hot all over. I stepped outside and called her.

"Hello this is Dr. Isles." She sounded tired.

"Hi Maura."

"Jane." I heard her smile in her voice. "You have nearly perfect timing. I'm just finishing up at work."

"I just now got your text. I'm at the bar with the guys."

"Are you inebriated detective?" Her voice was low, and I was glad I wasn't still inside with the guys observing me.

"I'm a native Bostonian, Italian American cop. It takes a lot to get me drunk." I told her. "I'm just 'chatty tipsy' right now."

"Hmmm…" Maura hummed, then went quiet.

"Maura what are you thinking right now?" It wasn't slurred, but I know it came out slower than I normally speak."

"I could ask you the same question, detective."

"But you won't."

"Oh?" Her voice was purring in my ear.

"Yeah 'cause the answer might be too much." I couldn't shut up.

"So can I take you to dinner, Jane, or not?" A demanding purr now.

"Uh, I'm at the Dirty Robber. I can't drive, my brother's on his way but…" My 'chatty tipsy' was quickly morphing into 'horny tipsy' and all I wanted was Maura's body against mine. "I'd rather go with you."

"Excellent decision. Let me finish up and I'll call you when I get there."

"Hey its Duck! She's back!" Frost called out, laughing as I slid in next to him.

"What is he talking about?"

"Korsak said it was a great duck and cover that got you guys outta Jimmy's way. So you're Duck and Cover from now on. Get it?!" He was decidedly more drunk than when I stepped outside.

"How many of those did you drink, Barry?" I pointed to the half dozen empty shot glasses on the table.

"Four of 'em. He needed to catch up." Jimmy said with a smile and a shrug.

"Damn, Jimmy. You saved us just to kill my partner?" I winked at him.

He just kept grinning and shook his head. "The kid needs some hair on his chest."

Korsak chimed in with, "good one Jimmy… I gotta get back home guys. Its almost time for Benji's heartworm dose." He threw some money on the table.

"Wait, here Korsak." I tried to return one of the fifties to him.

"No, Jane. Jimmy saved us, but you saved me. Thanks partner." He walked off before I said anything else.

The three of us kept drinking until Frankie got there. "Don't let my sister get you guys wasted." He said when he sat next to Jimmy. I signaled the waitress for another round of shots and pitcher of beer. She knew what we were drinking, so the signal was just eye contact and my raised index finger.

"Aw Frankie just 'cause her dick is bigger than yours doesn't mean she can drink more than me." Jimmy teased him.

"Shut it before I call your wife, James." Frankie shot back.

"Hey Frost don't tell Frankie, but I ate all the gnocchi at his mom's house earlier, so if he was planning on going over there for dinner he might wanna hit a drive through. 'Cause you know the only woman who cooks for him is his ma."

Frankie's face fell, and Frost choked on his beer laughing. I a shot and tried not to laugh too much at my little brother's expense. He was a good sport, though, and tapped his beer to Jimmy's.

My phone vibrated on my belt and I knew it was her. I walked away from the table, and aimlessly went towards the bathroom. "Maura."

"Hi. I'm outside. Should I come in and get you?" She chuckled.

"I can make it. Gimme a second. I'll be right out."

"Guys, I'm outta here. Frost, Jimmy don't try to get my brother drunk, he's your ride home." I snatched one last shot from the tray and bit into a lime as I walked away.

"What? Where are you going?" Frankie called to me, but I just kept walking.

I spotted Maura immediately, and walked up to her window. Her smile lit the way to her.

"Hey."

"Hi, Jane."

"You came for me." I grinned at her, and her face went beet red before my mind caught up to what I just said. My grin never faltered.

"'Chatty tipsy,' huh?" She shook her head, still blushing. "Get in." Before she pulled off she asked, "is your brother here? Should I drop anyone off?"

"They're fine. Frankie's got 'em." She's so damn sweet. My body slid down further into the seat.

"Do you have enough room for those legs?"

"Yep, I'm good."

"Your level of inebriation is definitely higher than when we spoke earlier. You smell like a distillery. How much did you drink?"

"About uhhh maybe 12 shots of tequila, and beer. A lot of beer." I thought about trying to add them all up, but it wasn't gonna happen.

"And when did you last eat."

"Right before I started drinking. Around three o'clock."

"You've been drinking for four hours, Jane? You have to drink water as soon as possible, at least a liter before you go to bed to prevent an episode of veisalgia." She wasn't scolding me, and I was listening until that last word. I had to have heard that wrong. I had to really focus before I asked for clarification.

"Episode of vegis-what?" I didn't say what I thought I heard.

"Veisalgia. A hangover. You need water to prevent the negative effects of the vast amount of alcohol you consumed."

"It wasn't a vast amount, doctor, you haven't seen me in action yet." I was 'horny chatty tipsy' but not full blown drunk.

"Action?" She glanced at me. "I may have seen you in action and you just don't realize it now… You're in no condition for a proper dinner. Your place or mine?"

What did she just say? "Huh?"

"Do you want me to take you home, or would you rather go to my house?" She was smirking at me.

"For what?" It didn't matter. "Your's. I like your house. It smells like you there."

She drove us to her house and parked in the driveway. I opened the door, and put one foot on the ground before pulling my leg back into the car. Maura looked at me with a smile I hadn't seen yet.

"What? Why are you eyeballing me like that?" I asked her.

"You're just really cute right now. Come on, let's go inside. This heat isn't helping your current state of drunkenness." She was smiling and that dimple was showing.

I got out of the car and slowly walked to her front door, a step behind her. I wanted to grab her ass, and I considered it for a moment. 'Horny chatty tipsy' wasn't a monster though, my control was intact and word choice was the only thing that could possibly slip before I caught it. Maura unlocked the door, walked in and turned to face me. In that moment I realized that I hadn't fully looked at her since I left her house that morning, in the exact same spot. She wore a deep purple cap sleeved dress. I took her in, from her beige peeptoe pumps, up to the glimpse of thigh under the hemline of her dress, the slight spread of hips and flat stomach. By the time my eyes made it up to her collarbone she had taken steps toward me and was within reach. Our eyes finally met at the same time my hands landed on her hips, and I was lost in golden hazel and some kind of cotton blend that was soft to the touch. I leaned forward and let my lips touch hers. Her arms met across the back of my neck and she pulled me closer to her while pushing herself into me. Her lips pressed and glided into and over mine and my tongue gently probed into her mouth. She pulled back for a quick moment to take a breath before opening wider, sliding her tongue around mine and touching the roof of my mouth softly. My right hand gripped her waist while my left moved up her side, around to her back and into her hair. We were breathing deeply, and she moaned quietly before pulling back. She didn't loosen her arms or separate her body from mine. "You taste like tequila." One more kiss. "And lime." She smiled and I kissed her one more time.

She led me into the kitchen, sat me at the counter and watched me drink a bottle of water. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was. Maura asked me what I wanted to eat and opened a drawer full of menus.

"Food." It wasn't the first thought that came to mind.

"How decisive of you, detective."

I couldn't figure out if it was the liquor or if she really sounded like pure sex. Either way, my response was stuck for a moment.

* * *

**It will probably speed up a bit soon, but I'm enjoying the pace right now. Thanks for reading, and reviewing! **


	11. Chapter 11

She laughed at my lack of response and looked through the drawer. Maura started naming dishes from her stack of takeout menus. Somewhere between pad thai and turkey sandwiches I pulled a menu from her hands. "I'm indecisive, right? Just order something you think I'll like."

"What if you don't want what I choose?" She asked with a slight frown.

"Well choose something I'll like. Can I use your bathroom?"

"You don't need to ask. You know where it is." She said as she took the menu back.

I used the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face to help me sober up a bit. I didn't feel nearly as drunk as I did before we arrived at Maura's house. I was feeling the effects of the alcohol still but I had pulled myself together some. As much as I enjoyed the banter between Maura and me, I hoped she could order something good. I was hungry and I needed food to soak up all the liquor I drank. She had been anticipating my needs so far. I trusted her decision making skills.

Maura made me drink a shitload more water before and during dinner. She decided on Greek food and ordered enough for a family with greedy teenagers. Gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, roasted veggies, she even ordered olives and baklava. She blushed when I asked why she got so much food and said, "I wanted to make sure you have what you need." She couldn't know how good it felt to hear that. We ate at the counter and she told me about her day. She had to sort through a mess Dr. Pike had made of lab results, a summer intern had contaminated a specimen, and she had a generally shitty day. She said Stanley was rude to her, "and I just wished I could have stayed here with you all day." Her cheeks flushed pink but she didn't look away. Golden green eyes were locked on me and I was frozen, couldn't even blink. My mind conjured up thoughts of what could have happened if I hadn't left. I could almost feel her silk robe sliding between my fingers.

After a few moments she broke eye contact to get up and clear the counter, putting the leftovers away and pouring herself a second glass of wine before placing the bottle in the fridge. I eventually came out of my stupor and helped her, and then followed her into the living room. She sat in the center of the sofa, and looked up at me with a shy smile until I sat next to her. I turned to face her.

"Thanks to you I'll be eating Greek food for the next two days." The subject was insignificant, her voice sultry and smooth.

"I didn't think you would order so much. Sorry." I replied.

She sipped her wine and hummed softly before licking her lips and putting the glass on the coffee table. She crossed her legs, turning her body towards me. "If you weren't so indecisive I wouldn't have. You should have just told me what you wanted."

"I-I am decisive about what I want, just not as forthcoming as I could be. Don't wanna move too fast, didn't want you to think it was the tequila." I stuttered with nervous energy. "I know what I want." I had sobered considerably.

"What's that Jane?" She moved toward me. All I wanted was to kiss her.

"To kiss you and never stop." I told her, honestly.

Maura turned fully toward me. Her hands went into my hair and she kissed me sweetly before biting my bottom lip. Her tongue licked my front teeth and my mouth reflexively opened for her. She wasted no time and I felt her tongue search mine out. I chased her tongue with mine and she pulled my hair, directing my head where she wanted it. She moaned into my mouth while kissing me deeply. My hand went to her waist and she bit my lip again before she slowed her kiss to a gentle peck.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." She said so quietly I almost missed it.

"What do you mean?" I played with the hem of her dress and stared into those pretty eyes.

"You say the sweetest things to me and then kiss me like that, and I can barely stand the sound of your voice right now." Her hands dropped to the small space between us. Her forehead touched mine and we both closed our eyes.

"I don't know what to say, Maura, you know I like you. I like being around you. I for damn sure like kissing you. I don't know what this is but…" I trailed off.

"But…?"

"But it feels good."

"Yes it does." She whispered and stood up. I didn't know what to expect, and for a moment I was worried. Maura adjusted her dress, raising the hem and placed a knee on either side of me. I was caught by surprise, her quick movement didn't fully sink in until I felt her warm weight on my lap. One of her hands went to the side of my face and she kissed my dimple and flashed that smile I'm really starting to love. I couldn't do anything to keep the smile off my face and my hands landed on the smooth skin of her thighs. Maura placed kisses along my jaw while her hand moved into my hair. Her lips were so soft and she trailed them down my neck while massaging my scalp. A quiet moan slipped out when I felt teeth on my neck, and Maura immediately moved her mouth to mine and pressed her lips against mine. Her tongue slid back into my mouth and she settled all of her weight on me, placing her free hand against my ribcage. My hands went to her hips and I tried to pull her body all the way to me. Instead of leaning into me she pulled back and looked into my eyes. She didn't smile, her face was serious and it was turning me on in a way that was unexpected and sexy as hell. She dragged her hand up and over my breast to my shoulder. My body felt like it was on fire and there was a dampness between my legs. Maura was studying my face again, I could feel her eyes on me as much as her hands were. The alcohol that swirled in my blood wasn't nearly as intoxicating as Maura.

I slid one hand down from her hip to push my fingers under her dress and into her waist, squeezing the warm flesh there. She finally leaned her body into me and kissed me with a force that didn't exist before. I groaned when the front of her body met mine. She sucked my tongue into her mouth and my arousal surged, my hands gripping her hips pushing and pulling at the same time. She moaned and kept going. She sucked hard and then softer and released my tongue before biting my bottom lip, all while running her nails down the back of my neck. Air moved forcefully through my lungs.

"Maura." I gasped her name. I couldn't fucking think. "Maura, I…"

She heard me but didn't respond with words of her own. Her mouth pressed moist kisses over my throat to a spot behind my ear that erased any resolve that might have lingered. I was a goner and she knew it. The shudder that racked through my body when she spoke into my ear ended with hot fluid soaking into my boxer briefs.

"You should have stayed this morning. Don't ask me to stop, Jane." Her voice was husky, her breath warm in my ear. Dull teeth came down on my earlobe and her hand went back into my hair and I felt like I could combust.

"Your bedroom." I swallowed hard. "Take me to your room."

* * *

We must have floated up the stairs because I closed my eyes and when they opened we were in her bedroom. She kissed me and I felt her body trembling slightly. She was nervous. I reached out for her hand and ran my thumb along her knuckles, a now familiar touch to wordlessly communicate to her that there was nothing to worry about. She closed the small distance between us and I kissed her cheek before melding my lips to hers. I put my hand into her hair and pulled my fingers through it, sweeping it to one side before kissing her neck. My lips felt her pulse thrumming rapidly and skimmed over the spot. My tongue touched it as I felt her hands go under my t-shirt. I lost my breath for a moment when her hands landed on my stomach.

Maura had regained her confidence and boldly pushed my shirt up, exposing my abdomen to the cool air in her bedroom. I felt goosebumps all over and pulled my shirt completely off. She kissed me and placed her hands back on my stomach, fingers splayed wide this time, and ran her hands around to my back. I hissed through my teeth, feeling so much but not enough and growing a bit impatient with her pace. I took a step back from her.

I looked into her eyes, amber in the low lighting, and unbuckled my belt. I watched her bottom lip go between her teeth, and she stepped into me again, hands going to the button and zipper of my jeans. She quickly lowered my pants and pushed me gently to the bed. As I sat on the edge she reached for her own zipper and let her dress pool at her feet. She stepped between my legs and placed her hand on my face, stroking my cheek the same way I had hers. Both of us were down to our underclothes, her lacy teal thong and bra set and my simple black sports bra and boxer briefs, our shoes long ago removed and forgotten downstairs. Her body was so sexy but I looked into her eyes. This wasn't strictly about sex, it was about our connection to each other. She leaned down to kiss me and guided me fully onto the bed.

When we reached the pillows Maura straddled me again, pushing her breasts into mine and our bare stomachs touched. Her skin was so warm, her body so soft, and my hands reached for her ass. We both moaned into our kiss as I squeezed her supple ass cheeks in each hand. I quickly grabbed the sides of her thong and pulled down. Her body lifted slightly and I grabbed her to switch our positions, pulling her panties completely off before lying her down on her back. I laid between her legs and fused my mouth to hers, feeling her wetness on my stomach. She pushed her center into me and her mouth opened wide in a silent, choked gasp. The small remainder of our clothing was removed in a flash, and my hand landed on a full breast at the same time as both of hers went to my ass. I leaned on my right elbow while the fingers of my left hand barely circled around a straining pink nipple. Our kiss resumed and I teased her tongue with mine as my hand continued to tease her breast. All 10 of her fingers gripped my ass, and I leaned into her pull. Her wet center rubbed against me in response to the increased contact, her back arched forward and one hand moved to my upper back pulling me closer still.

I squeezed her breast with my left hand and kissed down her neck, grazing her collarbone and shoulder with my teeth. Her fingernails went into my back and my ass and a low soft moan broke the quiet that had existed in the room. The sound triggered a more deliberate pace and my lips continued moving to Maura's breast, my tongue bathed the darkening pink skin around her nipple and teeth nipped at the underside of the soft and heavy flesh. I sucked and kissed all over her breasts, alternating left and right, pulling each nipple between my lips and teasing them with my tongue until they tightened and she moaned. Maura's hands urged me back up to her face and she leaned up to kiss me. Our tongues danced around each other, she held me tight and flexed against my abs, rubbing firmly, and moaning louder.

"Jane... Jane please." Her voice went straight to my spine and I shivered with the desire to hear more.

I kissed her deeply and my hand gripped her inner thigh, pushing her leg up and out. I trailed wet kisses down her body, sucking and licking along the way, finding ticklish spots and sensitive places, listening for every little sound she made. I nibbled around and below her navel while both hands gently stroked the soft skin of her inner thighs, her smell filling my lungs. Her hands went into my hair and scratched over my scalp and her pleading whimpers were all I could hear.

I moved further down the bed and kissed Maura's thigh then laid my head there. When I looked up at her our eyes met. The smolder I saw burned the hazel almost completely away and left wide dark pupils. Her face was flushed and her breaths came quickly, her chest moving up and down. She bit that bottom lip again. She was fucking gorgeous. She ran her fingers into my hairline to the back of my head, and pushed my face to her perfectly waxed pussy, wetness smeared across my mouth and my nose touched the strip of hair on top. I pursed my lips and moved my closed mouth over all of her, sliding my lips across Maura's slick inner lips. The sound she made rang in my ears. "Mmmhhmm," moaned around her lip, and hitched in her throat.

My lips were covered in sweet, salty wetness and I pulled back, taking a moment to appreciate the taste of her. I opened my mouth and repeated the action, breathing through my parted lips. I could taste her with every inhale and restrained my impulse to dive into her pussy. Instead I tentatively touched my tongue to her. She moaned again and I closed my mouth, to glide lightly over her clit with my lips. Her mouth opened in a gasp. I wanted to hear more. I put the tip of my tongue at her leaking entrance and moved it up and around her clit using light pressure. Maura's leg twitched and her fingers tightened in my hair. I sucked gently on her clit and heard a moan above me. My tongue flattened and swept firmly over her most private area, and a new sound escaped her. "Ahhh-hh," broke coming out of her. One of her hands went to her breast and groped while the other pushed my face into her pussy. I continued kissing and licking her with unpredictable pressure, never allowing her to settle into a rhythm, and never focusing for long on any one part of her. When I pushed my tongue into her entrance she groaned with want. My lips closing around her clit elicited an airy, needy sound. I sucked her whole pussy into my mouth and flicked her clit with my tongue and she cried out, "oohhh… oh God, Jane."

I pushed my tongue inside her and fucked her slowly, my hands still gripping her thighs, and her soft walls clung to me. I pulled my tongue out of her and rubbed firmly through her slit. She gathered my hair with both hands and I knew she was watching me. I looked up to see her pretty face and the intensity between us momentarily paused my actions. The flush had spread over her entire upper body; her neck, face and chest were completely pink. She was glowing and starting to sweat and I needed to make her cum. I pushed my face fully into her and my tongue teased her opening for just a moment before going inside her. I twisted and stroked my tongue over and over until she panted and made a strained noise and her thighs began to flex against my hands.

"Mmmm…. I…" She touched her breast again and squeezed herself firmly. Her other hand opened and closed in my hair. "I'm… Mmmhmm, Jane!" She cried my name. I kept squeezing her thigh with my right hand, using my thumb to stroke the soft, wet crease where her leg met her puffy lips. My left hand went to her chest, to her heavy breast, teasing her nipple between my fingers. Maura grabbed the back of my head with both hands and grinded my face against her pussy. Her legs clamped around my head and she came in my mouth. "Ahh! Ahhh, oh God. Ahhhh, JAAANEEE! AHHHH!"

Her body flexed and she pushed against my face more before she went limp. "Mmmm... God." Her legs fell away from me and her hands rested in my hair, no longer pushing or pulling. I lifted my body enough to kiss my way to her face. Maura looked into my eyes, smiling through her lip that was back between her teeth. She put her arms around me and kissed me with a hunger that made me want more. After a few minutes of kissing with steadily increasing passion, I settled between her legs again and moved my right hand around her shoulders. My left hand slid over her slick torso, from her breast to hip until her leg came to rest on my hip, opening herself to me again. I cupped her protectively, not wanting to cause her any discomfort. When she ran her nails over my ass, ending in a firm grasp, I was sure what she wanted.

I used two fingers to open her wet center and lightly touched her clit. My middle finger teased her opening, mimicking my earlier motion with the tip of my tongue, and pushed in before running her full length. An impatient groan came from between our lips. I couldn't believe how much Maura affected me. I had been wet since she first touched me on the sofa and I felt my own wetness leak out of me when she came. I didn't want to tease her anymore. I pushed two fingers into her and clenched my jaw at the tightness and cry that came with the intimate touch. I felt a chill go down my spine and a slick perspiration between our bodies. She squeezed against my fingers and held them tightly insider her. I rotated them to rub against weak spots, watching her face and listening to every sound she made. Her mouth opened with a loud gasp. Her eyelids lifted and she looked at me with emotion swirling through shades of green, before she closed them and pulled me closer to kiss me. I pressed against her front wall and she made a sound that at first seemed relieved but quickly turned desperate. Her kisses became less coordinated, and she put her forehead on my collarbone and cried out. She made a guttural sound and fingernails dug into my back. I could feel the steady but quickening pull, tighten, pulse rhythm around my fingers and rubbed firmly on the textured spot that was preventing Maura from breathing properly.

My arm around her shoulders pulled her as close to me as possible. I could feel her heartbeat and smell her hair. I was panting with the heavy tension that always existed between us, and all I could think of was Maura. She gasped again and the breath seemed to get stuck. I pushed in deeper and rubbed that spot with my middle finger while tapping with my index, and I knew what was about to happen. Maura's body trembled and a choked sob was muffled as she buried her face into my neck. "Oh God, oh God, oh Jane…" She whispered like a chant directly into my neck. I held her tighter. A warm fluid squirted out of her and made a mess of our already sweaty, sticky bodies. She made a sound that was equal parts scream, whimper, and moan and my jaw clenched and eyes watered in response. I almost came watching her fall apart. My fingers were trapped and Maura clung to me, her body shaking uncontrollably. I kissed her quivering lips until she released my fingers.


	12. Chapter 12

Her body went slack, allowing my fingers to slide out of her, and her arms fell from around me. She was breathing hard, her eyes squeezed shut, and body still twitching. My right arm still held her close. I wasn't ready to separate our bodies yet, so I braced my weight on my left arm and kissed her tenderly all over her face. She smiled at me with her eyes still shut and chest still heaving, bottom lip again pulled between her teeth, and wrapped both arms around me before hiding her face in my neck. Her body shuddered again and then relaxed a bit. I finally loosened my hold on her and leaned slightly away to look at her face. She didn't let go of me and guided me to lie fully on my back, shifting to drape her body over me, her face less than an inch from mine. I put my arms back around her, needing to touch her, and just stared at her. She was still smiling. Her breathing had slowed and her eyes were open and sparkling and her face glowed in the moonlight peeking through the windows. Her hand came to rest on the side of my face and she held eye contact for several moments before finally breaking the silence.

"What have you done to me, Jane?" She asked quietly and dreamily. Her voice was a bit raspy.

A smile broke across my face. I wasn't sure how to answer her question. "I just did what felt right."

"Hmm… You are quite intuitive. That was beyond expectation." She slurred a bit, and kissed me softly.

"Expectation?" I rubbed the leg that was over mine.

"Mmhmm." She continued kissing me, momentum increasing. Her wet center was pressed against my hip and her smell was all over me. Maura kissed me like I was someone special and my heart felt full enough to to overflow. She nibbled my bottom lip and gently sucked my top lip into her mouth, and threaded her fingers into my hair. Her hips moved against mine and I felt wetness smear a path from my hip, across my thigh as she shifted to hover over me. Her tongue reached into my mouth and moved along mine while she straddled my leg. Her hand went further into my hair and she gripped softly. Maura was aggressive and tender at the same time and it was driving me crazy. My hands slid up and over her hips, to her full breasts and back down to her ass. I couldn't decide where I wanted to touch her. She started to rock back and forth on my thigh, her swollen clit on my hipbone. A quiet moan sounded in my ears and I didn't know whether it was her who made the sound or me. I grabbed her tighter around her ass with both hands and her thigh pushed into my center. I bit down on her lip with the contact and she pushed my head to the side, to move her mouth to my neck.

I felt soft lips trail kisses downward and abruptly stop to suck firmly against my collarbone. My hands ran up and down Maura's back, her skin so soft and warm. She kissed all over my chest, and the hand in my hair moved downwards to lightly grasp my throat. Her grip tightened slightly as her mouth closed around my nipple. The possessiveness Maura displayed affected me as much as the feel of her tongue on my sensitive flesh, and a groan rumbled from my chest. I grabbed her ass with both hands and kneaded firmly, making her moan around my nipple. She dragged her tongue across my chest biting softly around my breast until I moaned. Her tongue went around and then licked my nipple, and she thrust her slick center against my leg with more force. She leaned back, using one hand to palm my breast as the hand around my neck went back into my hair, and she slowly grinded against me. Maura was riding my leg and biting her lip, and her thigh rubbed my center with increasing friction. My head went deeper into the pillow, and we both moaned. I continued to grip her ass with my left hand to guide her movement, and firmly grasped her breast with my right.

"You're so fucking sexy, Maura." Words came out with a groan as her wetness spilled over my thigh. She suddenly pulled back from me, moaning loudly as she licked and kissed down my stomach before sucking my hipbone, dragging her tongue through her own essence there. She gently bit and kissed from my thigh to my knee and back to my hipbone, before repeating the action on the opposite side. I was breathing hard and her hand landed in the middle of my chest, directly over my heart. She kissed around my pussy, teasing me by barely skimming her lips over my lower ones. I held my breath waiting for her to kiss where I wanted. Finally her tongue slid down my slit, from the very top of my clit to my clenching opening, and the air rushed out of my lungs. "Mmmhhm, shit." She firmly licked back and forth, pressing her tongue between my inner lips and probing inside of me just enough to make me squirm. My left hand gripped her hand that was on my chest, our fingers interlacing tightly. The contact intensified the bond between us and I moaned loudly as Maura swirled her tongue around my clit before sucking it into her mouth.

"Maura… Mmm…" She slid her tongue fully inside me and wrapped her free arm around my waist, holding me in place. My heels dug into the bed and I tried to brace myself. She tongue kissed my pussy the same way she kisses my mouth; slow and methodical, sweetly aggressive and like she cares about me. It was intoxicating. She licked me firmly, pushing inside me with steady strokes, and then kissed tenderly. She sucked my clit hard and then softly, alternating pressure and angle and I couldn't keep up with her movements. "Uugh… Uhhh, oh fuccckkkk." My right hand grabbed and twisted the comforter.

She teased me with the tip of her tongue before fully swiping through my folds and I could feel my orgasm beginning deep inside me. My eyes were shut tightly and my back arched just slightly off the bed. Maura slowly released my hand and moved her's to my breast, pinching my nipple and massaging until I moaned outloud. She pushed her tongue inside me again and held me tighter around my waist while starting a rhythm in and out.

"Fuucck Maura… Ahh… Ahhh!" My voice was strained and clipped at the end of every utterance. I wouldn't last much longer. I reached a hand down to her head and ran my fingers through her hair. She dragged her hand down my body, lightly scratching my stomach until her thumb reached my clit. "Ohh fuckk, Maura… Ahhh… Ahhh shiiiitttt!." She rubbed my clit and moaned into my pussy while tongue fucking me. I came hard, twisting the comforter in one hand and pulling Maura's hair with the other, my mouth open and moaning unrestrained.

Without pause Maura moved up and kissed me deeply, my wetness spreading from her face to mine. She rotated her hand and left her thumb lightly touching my clit. My arms went around her neck, pulling her down against me. Maura pushed hair from my forehead and kissed my cheek. I smiled at the sweet gesture and turned my head to feel her lips against mine again. I hadn't caught my breath yet and my body still tingled. Maura pushed her tongue into my mouth and slid a finger into my pussy. She swallowed the surprised moan that escaped me before pushing another finger into me. "You're so tight, Jane." She panted above me, her lips still touching mine as she spoke. My right hand grabbed her ass and squeezed hard as she pumped her fingers into me. I knew I was gonna cum again and tried to get control over my body. I opened my eyes to see her hazel eyes searching my face. She looked into my eyes and pushed harder into me. My hand gripped her ass harder as my left hand went around to her back. When Maura rolled her thumb over my clit my eyes slammed shut and I cried out, my second orgasm tearing through me. "Mauraaaa… fuuccckkkkk!" Pressure released from inside me, but my body tightened with an indescribable tension. My back arched and my knees locked, and I felt her kiss my lips over and over.

My ears were ringing as she slowly pulled her fingers out of me. I couldn't move, not even to open my eyes. My stomach clenched involuntarily and I felt Maura shift away just slightly before I felt her hand, still wet, on my abs. My legs relaxed and my arms loosened enough for her to move to a more comfortable position. She laid almost directly on top of me, and I was glad because I needed the body contact but couldn't make my brain and my mouth collaborate enough to speak. She kissed me all over my face, and stroked my right side. Maura smoothed hair from my sweaty forehead, then trailed her hand slowly up and down my arm until my breathing calmed and my eyes opened. She was beaming that sexy sweet smile at me. She slid off of me and laid her body next to mine, her front pressed into my side. I covered my face with my arm to try to stop the laugh I felt bubbling up inside me. Maura propped herself on her elbow and grabbed my hand, pulling my arm away and exposing my widening smile.

"Don't hide from me, detective. I've seen almost all of you… Including that smile that refuses to be concealed." Her voice was still a bit rough and it was so damn sexy to hear.

"You are so beautiful, Maura." My own raspy voice hadn't recovered and sounded especially gravelly.

She leaned into me and kissed me softly, her tongue gently glided between my lips before she pulled back to look at me. Neither of us said anything for a while. Our hands found each other and fingers gripped around each other. "Don't run away from me, Jane." She didn't look at me when she spoke. I turned to fully face her.

"I won't." I said quietly.

"Don't shut me out, or be dishonest with me… Don't hurt me." She looked up at me as she finished speaking, then lowered her eyes again.

"I won't. I promise."

She looked at me with wide hazel eyes, and saw in them a vulnerability that I was sure swirled in my own. I felt just as raw as she did. "I'm scared of whatever this is, Maura. Its exciting and it feels so damn good. But its scary. I won't purposely do anything to hurt you or damage this... This thing that's happening between us."

She kissed me again and leaned her body on me, pushing me onto my back. She kissed me sweetly and looked into my eyes until we were both smiling like idiots. She looked down at me and then the bed. "We made a mess." She blushed just a little.

"Yeah, and I've been laying in a wet spot for at least 20 minutes." I was sticky and had drying fluids in nearly every crevice of my body.

"Come on. We both need a shower." Maura moved off of me and I immediately missed her warmth.

"You're right."

She led me into her master bathroom, which was the size of my living room. Maura stepped away and pressed buttons on her high tech shower for, "programmed, customized preferences of water temperature and pressure and ambient lighting," and my eyes were glued to her body. I suddenly became aware that I didn't take the time to appreciate the view before our hands and mouths were all over each other. I stood behind her and just looked at her for a moment. Her skin was nearly flawless; there were freckles along her shoulders, and faint stretch marks on each hip. Her body was fit, with womanly soft areas and slender, defined parts also. She turned and caught me admiring her and moved toward me with a sly smile. Her generous breasts bounced with each step, pink nipples hard in the open air. I saw her eyes sweep from my face down, then back up to gaze into my eyes. She stepped towards me and said something that I didn't quite catch.

"Huh?" I wasn't listening. Opps.

"I asked if you were joining me." She smirked at me.

"Hell yeah." I said

We kissed and touched each other while showering, and washed each other almost reverently, but didn't take it any further. After washing away the substances that we'd spread all over each other, Maura offered me a toothbrush and we both brushed our teeth. Her bedroom was pristine, other than the clothes on the floor and messy bed with several obvious sex stains on the comforter. Her room matched the rest of the house that I had seen, modern furniture, and showroom floor ready.

"I'll need to get that dry cleaned this weekend." She said with a blush blooming over her chest. She looked at me and asked, "Do you want something to sleep in?"

I closed the short distance between us and pulled her towel from around her. "I just want to feel your skin against mine, if that's alright." She removed my towel as well and we got in the bed, snuggling under the covers. Maura laid her head on my chest and wrapped her arms around me, our legs tangled together. I put my arm around her and held her close. She drummed her fingers on my stomach in a one-two rhythm that I soon realized was my heartbeat. That sweet tension crept in over us again and I had to tell her something before we went any further.

"I don't do casual sex Maura. I mean sex isn't a casual thing for me… I don't think it would be fair to ask you to be in a relationship with me right now, I don't wanna pressure you into anything. Or make this about sex, or ruin the mood. But I need you to understand that this wasn't about me being drunk or just wanting gratification." My voice wavered in spots but was clear.

"What just happened was far more significant than simple sexual gratification, Jane. What we're doing isn't superficial. Its intense for me too." The feel of her breath on my skin and her warm body against mine when she spoke was like an imprint. I felt branded, like I wouldn't ever be the same again.

"Kiss me before I fall asleep." I whispered, voice thick with emotion. Maura raised off of me, bracing herself on her left arm, and touched my face with her right hand. She touched my eyebrows and followed the slope of my nose with her fingertips. Her thumb lightly ran over my lips and she leaned down to press slow, wet kisses to my mouth. Her hand traveled down my body, fingers lightly brushing my skin, over my breasts and stomach. Kisses became more deliberate, tongues twirling around each other as her fingers tickled my abs with gentle touches. I mirrored her movements and used my left hand to tease her breasts and trail over each of her ribs. We touched each other carefully, and gently rubbed fingers into wet centers at the same time. We never broke our kiss as we penetrated each other and tenderly worked our bodies into panting heaps of want. Thumbs pressed into clits and we climaxed together while her green gold eyes stared into mine. Broken, wordless cries escaped both of us as our lips crashed into each other.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey folks! Something tame after the last 2 chapters. **

* * *

I woke up with Maura's head on my chest and arm wrapped around me. Her breaths were slow and even, and the weight of her warm body comforted me. There was light shining through the windows and birds singing morning songs, and it was completely different from the way I normally wake up. I didn't miss the sounds I hear at my apartment. No blaring alarm, traffic, or noisy neighbors, just some happy sounding birds chirping to each other and Maura's soft breathing. I drew in a deep breath and squeezed Maura a little tighter. I didn't want to wake her up but I realized that I had no idea what time she needed to be up for work or if she had set an alarm. The bright sun meant that it had to be at least a bit past six. I lightly rubbed Maura's arm until I felt her breathing speed up a bit. I kissed her forehead when I felt her body shift. She moved up and put her face in my neck and her arm tightened around me before she sighed contently.

"Good morning beautiful." My voice was a bit horse. Maura mumbled something into my neck and it tickled. My resulting chuckle made her raise her head enough to be heard.

"Good morning," her voice was quiet and rough, and she returned her head to my neck.

"What time do you need to get up?"

Her body tensed for a moment before relaxing against me. "I have an autopsy at ten o'clock. What time is it?"

"I don't know. I can't see a clock from here and I haven't moved yet." I kissed her temple.

Maura sat up a bit and opened her eyes. In the morning light they sparkled like sea glass and the gold flecks were amazingly brilliant. I must have been staring for too long because she blushed and lowered her eyes.

"What? Why are you blushing?" I asked her while pushing wayward hair behind her ear. She just shook her head and turned slightly away from me, smiling.

"Its only 6:38. Although I am normally up by now, I have no desire to leave this bed." She laid her head back on my shoulder and snuggled into me, and we went back to sleep for a while. We stayed in that position until bladders demanded to be emptied and limbs stretched. We eventually got up and showered. Maura wanted to wash my clothes saying, "If you must wear yesterday's outfit, at least let it be clean." I told her I would be fine, and put on everything except my underwear which somehow made it into the washer with the sheets while I was brushing my teeth. By the time she was dressed and the soiled linen replaced on the bed, it was nearly nine o'clock, and we didn't have much time left.

"Your car isn't far from the station, but we still should allow at least 10 minutes additional time for travel. We should get going." Maura said while pouring coffee into two travel mugs. I knew she was right but I wasn't nearly ready to leave her. We used up the time that could been spent eating breakfast caught up in a post-shower make out session. Maura's lips were slightly swollen as she sipped her coffee. I pulled her into a hug and squeezed her as tightly as she would let me. "Don't wrinkle my blouse, Jane."

"Okay but if you have to reapply your lipgloss, then so be it."

She drove, the speed limit, to the Robber and pulled up next to my car. I turned to face her and put my hand over her's on the gear shifter. She leaned towards me and I closed the distance, touching my lips to hers. Her perfume wafted in my nose and I gripped her hand and knee to touch her without disturbing her perfectly styled hair, makeup and clothing. I pulled away from her quickly when I felt her tongue graze behind my front teeth, knowing that we couldn't finish anything that we started. I kissed her once more before getting out of her car and walking around to her window.

"You're sure you have to go to work? Kilpatrick and Pike can't hold down the fort?" Maura's eyebrows flew towards her hairline.

"Absolutely not, Jane! Drs. Pike and Kilpatrick would likely destroy or miss evidence and put the majority of the work on the less qualified lab technicians. I must get to the lab immediately!" She began breathing fast and looked genuinely afraid of the state of things at work.

"I know Maura, I was kidding. I know how important it is for you to be there." I saw her relax, and her hand went to mine on her lowered window.

"You enjoy teasing me." Her eyes shined in the daylight.

"You know I do… You'd better leave for work before I don't let you go." I said, stepping away from her car, letting our hands slide apart.

I went home and changed into some sweats and a t-shirt and laid on the couch for a while, trying to figure out how getting drinks with Jimmy and the guys turned into amazing sex with Maura. I spent two nights in a row at her house, wrapped around her, and I actually felt good about it. I didn't mean to move fast with Maura; I knew that I was falling for her and I wanted to maintain some distance. That idea went out the window when I realized how comfortable I was with her. We had only been on one date, and already slept together. I hadn't broken my rules though. The connection I felt with her was beyond anything I've ever experienced. What if she doesn't like me when she gets to know me better? What if we have nothing in common? I enjoyed the opera, but I couldn't do that kind of thing on the regular basis, I'd go crazy. Will she expect me to always do fancy stuff? Would I embarrass her? What have I gotten myself into?

My last girlfriend's name was Jennifer and I really wanted to like her. I did like her, actually, just not as much as she liked me. We got along okay, there just wasn't any real chemistry between us. I never really missed her when we were apart, or looked forward to anything. I liked her, but I didn't _like_ her. I felt like I was leading her on by spending time with her, so I stopped answering her calls until she got mad and came to my apartment demanding answers. I looked her in her eyes and told her to leave me alone before her feelings got hurt. They already were, but I still think that she took things too seriously. I used her. I didn't mean to, but that's what it was. I was bored and lonely, and horny, and she made herself available. My heart was still a little broken from a previous relationship, and then Jennifer just appeared and she got really attached to me. I broke my 'sex code,' needing release, and the next thing I knew she was calling me her girlfriend and sleeping at my apartment all the time. It was a nice enough arrangement, but it wasn't real.

Maura makes my skin burn. She makes my heart beat triple-time. Her voice sends tingles down my spine. The chemistry between us is some super science, hazmat suit, keep back 50 feet type of stuff. I still felt her touch on my skin hours after the fact. I was in deep shit here. I could feel myself falling for her; like literally feel something happening to my heart, like some kind of illness. Like butterflies in my stomach, but big huge, heavy bastards that flew around the parts of my ribcage that didn't house vital organs. And they were cloning themselves, or something, to fill up the space left every time I exhaled.

I needed to go for a run. Almost nine miles and an hour and a half later I was a sweaty mess, but had worked through some mental blockage. I liked Maura. I mean, I wanted to see her, and talk to her, and eat meals with her. I wanted to know about her childhood and her fears and dreams. I wanted to tell her everything about myself. I was full blown falling for her. And it scared the fuck out of me. I'm a blue collar cop, a Boston Italian. A community college attending, lower middle class kid. She's a European boarding school, dinner party attending, Beacon Hill rich girl. Her vacations must cost more than my car. Those differences could be too much. My insecurities were pronounced; how could _I_ interest her? Could this be an experiment into the lives of the lowly common people? No, Maura's not like that. What was I thinking? She likes me; she seems to feel the same way as I do.

* * *

I made it back to my apartment and guzzled water, and of course thought about Maura encouraging proper hydration. I peeled off my sweaty clothes and took a shower before getting a beer and settling on the couch. It was the middle of the day and I was camped out in my living room. Normally on Fridays me and Frost would get burgers for lunch, and the thought of greasy food made me hungry. I still hadn't gone grocery shopping. As I inwardly groaned at the thought of entering a grocery store and pushing a shopping cart around, I remembered that I had a freezer full of food that my mother sent Frankie over with. I leapt off the sofa to heat something up. Eating in front of the TV had been all but forbidden when I was a little kid, but not all the time, and it didn't last into my teenage years. My dad always let us eat in the living room when the Sox were playing, or when he was watching a movie that he wasn't willing to leave in the middle of. Eventually my ma stopped yelling about it and just asked us to not make a mess. So as an adult I tended to eat in front of the TV almost always. I slurped up spaghetti while flipping through the channels, unwilling to watch some cop show marathon or a news network, finally settling on a movie I had seen at least a half dozen times. My phone buzzed on the coffee table and I debated ignoring it but the hope that maybe it'd be her made me quickly snatch it up. It was Frost asking if I wanted to meet up for burgers. Maybe I should have called or texted him before eating, but oh well, I was hungry and had food less than five yards away. Didn't even have to put on pants.

I fell asleep after drinking another beer with my lunch and woke up after four o'clock. Sleeping on the couch wrecked my back, especially after that run earlier. Reaching for the phone was more effort than expected, but it was more than worth the discomfort. I had a text from Maura, from over an hour ago.

_M: Are you enjoying your day off?_

_J: Hey I was asleep. Sorry. I guess so…_

_M: Well hello, detective._

_J: Hey you… I was hoping to hear from you._

_M: Why didn't you just call me? Or text?_

_J: You're at work. Didn't wanna disturb you._

_M: Nonsense, but thank you. Did you rest well?_

_J: Yeah I guess. I slept on my couch and now my back hurts, but I'm not tired anymore._

_M: Lumbar support is often a deciding factor in mattress purchasing. _

_J: Yeah well, none of that happened just now._

Maura didn't text me back for some time and I just assumed that something required her attention. I almost wished I was at work, just to know what was going on. Eventually I got up to put away the clothes that I washed at my ma's house and decided to go grocery shopping after all. I was running low on beer, and figured I might as well get a few other necessary items too. I didn't spend long shopping, I never do because I absolutely despise it, and before long I was back at home stashing beer and cereal in the kitchen. My phone rang right as I finished putting stuff away. It was her. "Hey, Maura."

"Hi, Jane." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Busy day at the morgue?"

"Indeed. Two autospies and I had to dismiss an intern." Maura sounded tired.

"Do you normally do more than one autopsy a day? That sounds like a lot of work."

"I prefer not to, but the case was a bit too sensitive for me to delegate the work to another ME… Do you want to help me eat some leftovers tonight? It is your fault that there was so much food."

I couldn't help but smile widely at the thought of seeing her. "Its not my fault!" I laughed. "But, yes, I would love to help you lessen the amount of leftovers from dinner."

"I'll be leaving work soon. See you in hour or so?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

I rang Maura's doorbell and heard her heels clicking towards the door. I suddenly felt nervous. The door opened quickly and she pulled me inside, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Mmm, I missed you today." She said between kisses to my neck. I put my arms around her waist and squeezed her. Her soft voice and the feel of her body touching mine fed those butterflies in my chest and I could damn near feel them growing. I spoke directly into her ear, "I missed you, too." She pulled back from me enough for us to properly look at each other. Her smile was so wide her eyes crinkled. I kissed her softly before hugging her to me again, tighter than before.

"I'm starting to think you like having me around." I told her. She laughed and led me to the kitchen, never fully separating herself from me, our hands loosely clasped together.

"Maybe I need to work on my approach if you're just starting to think that." The look she gave me made me feel warm all over. She smiled before turning around to get food from the fridge.

"I didn't eat lunch today, so forgive me if it looks like a lot of food on my plate."

"You've seen me eat. Don't be shy."

She plated food for both of us and heated them in the microwave. We sat at the counter and ate, casually talking. Maura's day was busy, and she felt conflicted about firing that intern. He deserved to be fired, he was careless in the lab several times, but she's such a nice person she didn't want to damage the student's chances for future opportunities. She knew that she made a professional decision and that it was logical, but she didn't like having to do it. I changed the subject. "Better you than Pike though right? So, I've been thinking… I wanna take you out again. I'm on call this weekend, but I want us to do something."

That bright smile graced her lips again and her eyes softened. "Something like what?"

"Something leisurely in case I get called away. But fun for both of us. When's the last time you went to the aquarium?"

"Oh that sounds like a great idea! Although keeping animals captive is frowned upon by some environmentalists and animal rights groups, many of surviving members of endangered species are housed in zoos and aquariums around the globe. Countless treatments and cures have been developed from the findings associated with veterinary science, and many of them wouldn't have been possible without wild animals kept in institutions. And when else would one ever get to see enteroctopus dofleini and eudyptes chrysocome in the same place but an aquarium?" She looked so pleased with the idea that I didn't even ask for the English translation of whatever animals she just named.

"So tomorrow? Will you point out the extra-octopus thingy and and eucalyptus chromosome for me?"

That smile beamed at me and she giggled, "yes, Jane." After we finished eating and cleaning up, Maura filled our glasses with wine, the bottle that she told me about before. We sat on the sofa, Maura sitting close to me but not touching, and sipped in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. I turned to her and said, "Come here. I want to feel you."

She smiled but tilted her head before scooting closer to me. Our hands linked together and she pulled them into her lap and then leaned in for a kiss. "I was distracted today. My focus was not as sharp as it usually is." She spoke between kisses. I pulled away.

"I'm sorry." I must have been smirking, because she quickly replied, "No, you're not."


	14. Chapter 14

We continued talking and kissing on the sofa for a little while. Neither one of us seemed interested in talking about the night before, at least not at the time. She told me about visiting a maritime research facility when she was in college, and the strange creatures and people she met there. I shared stories about field trips to the aquarium and Tommy killing my goldfish when I was little. I had already spent two nights in a row at her place, and wasn't willing to make it a habit. And as good as it was, I wasn't ready to be intimate with her again. I still felt raw. She seemed content with just kissing and neither of us tried to increase the pace of the action. It was nice, not even really sexual, just comfortably affectionate. After a while I decided that I should leave before it got late. She gave a slight pout, but didn't say anything to try to change my mind. She walked me to the door.

"Thanks for coming over, Jane. I was hoping to see you today."

"Me too. I mean we saw each other today, clearly, but I wanted to see you again." I was rambling. She kissed me, passionately this time, and I followed her lead. Arms went around torsos and hands into hair, tongues met and rotated, and it ended with a soft kiss to my chin. She stepped back and said, "See you tomorrow."

The next day I woke up to my phone ringing. I thought it might be Maura or even Frankie or my mother, but it was dispatch. I had two days off following the shooting and was called to a scene first thing Saturday morning. Goddamn it. And I had plans for the day, which were now all but cancelled. I took my time showering and getting dressed. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet and I was on my way to a dead body. When I got to the scene Frost was about 20 yards away with his back turned to the house. I guessed that he had just tossed his cookies in the corner and hadn't made it back yet. Korsak saw me and briefed me on what we had. Middle aged woman, stabbed multiple times in the chest while watching TV. Dragged herself from the couch to the kitchen and died before she made it to the phone. No forced entry, or bloody footprints, and the knife was nowhere in sight. The ME hadn't shown up yet, so the body hadn't been moved. There really wasn't much to observe at the scene, and we would have to dig into this lady's life to get information to work with. I went next door to talk to the neighbors and saw a familiar car pull up. Maura gracefully stepped out, and time slowed down as my brain tried to keep up with conflicting desires. I needed to stay cool, be professional, talk to these people to get any useful information from them. All I wanted was to go to Maura and run my fingers through her hair.

She politely smiled at some uniformed officers as she flashed her credentials, and I saw about a dozen eyes watching her walk up the sidewalk to the house. Their eyes bounced from her breasts to backside and then to each other, expressions like adolescents in silent exclamation. She looked amazing, wearing a tight white button up shirt, with the sleeves rolled to her elbows and rose colored jeans with gold sandals, seemingly dressed for our casual date. Her hair was curled into loose ringlets that bounced around her shoulders and she wore aviator sunglasses in the morning light. I felt a pulse go through my body, like one big fucking knock of a pulse, from the soles of my feet upwards into my stomach. I stopped to collect myself before ringing the neighbor's doorbell. I had never been more happy to hear that the neighbors didn't know anything. I'd of course have to check up on alibis and hunt down details, but the elderly couple went to bed early every night and no kids or grandkids were around. Those two probably weren't our killers. I felt confident enough in my three minute interview to rule them out, and walked quickly back to the scene. Maura was in her element and didn't seem to notice any officers around her. She was making notes on a clipboard and carefully turning the victim's hand over examining it. This looked pretty simple to me, this woman clearly struggled and died while dragging herself across the floor.

"The blood with hand and knee prints through it probably means that she crawled over here and died, doctor. Stabbed over on the couch and couldn't make it to the phone here." She finally looked up when I spoke to her. She looked surprised for a brief moment before schooling her features back into professional mode.

"While I appreciate your deduction, the reddish brown substance here could be any number of fluids."

"Reddish brown…? You mean blood right? This is clearly blood."

"That may be a logical descriptor, but there is a potential that this substance is something other than blood. When we get results from the lab confirming exactly what this is, it will exclude other possibilities."

She looked so genuinely convinced that this blood might maybe be something other than blood that I just said, "Right. Of course, doctor." Korsak was right by me and he kept looking from Maura to me waiting for some kind of reaction. He was clueless to our personal knowledge of each other and didn't know that the reaction I was having to her was a drastic increase in heartrate. I felt myself appraising her from top to bottom and had to leave before I did something crazy like grab her face and kiss it all over. She looked so sexy and the focused and somewhat uptight demeanor she held was strangely turning me on right there with a dead body between us.

"Korsak, its not blood until the doc says its blood. Regardless of the fact that it clearly oozed from her body, and it smells like a kiddie pool full of O-negative in here." Korsak raised his hands in surrender and walked away chuckling and muttering to himself.

"I know that you're nearly sure that we're tiptoeing around blood. But we must be completely sure, right?" My right foot lifted slightly from the floor, as if to take a step closer to her, before I caught it. I hoped she hadn't noticed it.

"Indeed, detective, this is likely the blood of this poor woman. But until my samples are processed, this will continue to be an unidentified reddish brown substance." She looked up at me through her eyelashes and her lips curled into a shy smile. My fingers twitched with the desire to touch her, anywhere, just touch her and feel her body heat. We held silent eye contact for too long and still only looked away from each other when Frost called my name from the next room. There was a knife missing from the butcher block in the kitchen, so our murder weapon was a standard, common kitchen knife, brand of no significance. Nothing else seemed out of place so I went out through the back door to walk the perimeter of the house. As I walked along scanning for footprints or drops of blood or anything useful, I could hear voices sounding a little too jovial for a Saturday morning murder.

"The M.E., man she's fucking weird, y'know, but she's wicked sexy."

"You seen her tits in that shirt she's got on?"

"That's nothing. She had on a skirt the other day. Legs out, ya know, slit up the back. I coulda just bent her over and put my dick in her-"

I lengthened my stride to reach them quickly and gave them a piece of my mind. "Instead of standing around running your fucking mouths why don't you try earning your income today. Go find a goddamn witness. Do something besides talking about our _Chief_ M.E., who by the way, could have all your fucking badges in less than a heartbeat if she heard half of the shit you just said. And you better hope I never hear any of that shit again, or it'll be a major fucking problem for you." I walked right into their space and used my guilty perp voice and said, "Show some fucking respect. Doughnut eating, badge bunny hunting, yellow tape toting assholes. You should be trying to impress Dr. Isles with some actual police work. Go. Now."

The three uniform cops quickly straightened up and hightailed it towards the gathering crowd of neighbors. When I turned around Frost was walking toward me. "You good, partner?"

"Yeah... You see anything else or are we about ready to head out?"

* * *

Back at BPD we laid out our pictures and information on the board to begin the process of tracking and digging to find answers. A few alibis needed to be checked out and we had to locate the victim's next of kin to make notification. Frost was busy typing away doing his computer wiz thing and Korsak went to meet with somebody. He didn't tell us any details so it must have been a CI that he doesn't want anybody even knowing exists. I made some calls to follow up what some neighbors had told us before giving in to a feeling I'd had since leaving the scene.

"I'll be back Frost. Call me if you get anything." I told my partner before walking towards the elevators. They were taking too long so I jogged down the stairs instead. I didn't see any bodies or lab guys through the windows so I walked through the open area of the morgue to Maura's office and knocked on her door.

"Come in." Her voice was quiet. I opened the door and stopped for a moment to take her in. She sat at her desk, right hand on the mouse, left hand flipping pages of some book on the desk. When she looked up at me her cheeks blushed a color similar to the jeans she wore and she smiled a different kind of smile. I was starting to realize that she really had many different ways of smiling. Like her own nonverbal language. I couldn't place that one; I didn't know what she was saying with that particular smile. "Jane. I wasn't expecting to see you."

"I was wondering if you were here. I left the scene kinda quickly."

She stood up and walked towards me and I didn't know what to do or what was coming. She closed and locked the door behind me, and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. I returned the hug and waited for her to speak.

"I heard what you said to those officers at the scene. They had been talking about me since I walked past them to the van across the street. I suppose they didn't know or care that I was close enough to hear them talking." She spoke quietly and her arms squeezed me harder.

"I'm sorry, Maura. Some of these guys are real assholes and chauvinistic and just jerks. And I know they must be intimidated by you. And they show off for each other and-"

"Jane, stop. I have become accustomed to people speaking about me in patronizing and degrading ways. Its not unusual for people to say nasty and unkind things about me. But the way you put an end to it, Jane. Thank you."

"I wish I coulda popped each of 'em one good time. They should know better. And you don't deserve that. You're amazing, you know that?"

She pulled away a bit and looked at me with those hazel eyes, and another different smile on her lips. "I think you're amazing," she told me while loosening her grip on my body and lacing our fingers together. "Come sit down."

We sat on her very much not comfortable sofa and talked about the crime scene. There wasn't much evidence, and Maura's preliminary exam didn't yield any useful information. Until some lab results came in or we found anything interesting with our victim's personal relationships, we were at a standstill.

"I guess our date isn't gonna happen today. I was really looking forward to going to the aquarium with you… And you look so pretty, Maura." I told her honestly. I had been excited about our date.

"Thank you, Jane." She blushed adorably. "Can we go to the aquarium another day?"

"Yeah, of course. You promised to teach me some technical terminology, remember?"

Frost called me to let me know that he had located our victim's son and that we needed to go make notification. I stood up and walked to the door. "Duty calls. Can we try to do something later? I can't predict how long I'll be gone and what time I'll be free. But if its not too late do you want to get dinner maybe?"

"That would be great. Call me when you can?"

"Yeah. See you later."

She kissed me chastely and said, "Be cautious, detective."

The victim's son seemed a little sketchy, so Frost and I ended up having to dig into his affairs before accepting his alibi. By seven o'clock that night we had been working for for nearly 12 hours and decided to call it day. I was exhausted and headed home. Maura had left hours ago and texted me to remind me that she still wanted to get dinner even if was late. When I got to my apartment the first thing I did was kick off my shoes, even before I unclipped my badge and gun. I grabbed a beer and let my body collapse on the sofa, and called Maura.

"Hello, Jane." Her voice brought a smile to my face.

"Hey, Maura. I finally left work. Just got home."

"You sound tired."

"I am… Listen, I'm not really up for going out tonight. You wanna come over and we can order dinner?" I wanted to see her but putting shoes on didn't sound like my idea of fun that night. It was time to ask her over anyway, even if it wasn't for a romantic candlelit dinner.

"You want me to come to your place? Yes. When? What's your address?"

I chuckled quietly at her eagerness and told her my address. She offered to bring dinner with her, which sounded like music to my fucking ears. My apartment was clean, the only thing out of place in the living room were the shoes that I had kicked off. My bed wasn't made though, so I got up to straighten my room a bit and shower. I hesitated putting on sweats since I knew Maura would be arriving soon and decided on jeans and a black tank top. My hair was still wrapped up in a towel and my feet were bare. I was starting to get nervous. I hoped Maura would get to my place soon because the anticipation was getting to me. I didn't have any wine though and figured that Maura wasn't a beer person, but there was no time to get to a decent store and ask somebody for help choosing one. I needed to figure out a default wine to get for her and keep a bottle or two on standby.

There was a knock at my door while I was trying to remember the particulars of a Cabernet. I whipped the towel off my head and tried to run my fingers through some tangles before looking through the peephole and opening the door. She had changed into dark jeans and an incredibly tight, emerald green, thin v-neck shirt. She wore a gold necklace that dipped below her collarbone and that shirt made her eyes look completely green. Her hair had loosened throughout the day and fell around her shoulders. I finally realized that we were standing in the doorway and she was on the wrong side, and stepped back to allow her to come in.

"Sorry. Come in, please… You look beautiful."

She smirked and said, "Thanks for inviting me in." I took the bags from her hands and noticed that she brought a bottle of wine.

"I was just thinking that I didn't have enough time to get wine for you. All I have is beer. Good thing you came prepared."

"I figured that you wouldn't mind me bringing a bottle. You may even like it."

I could feel her eyes examining me, from my exposed toes to my damp hair. That subtle nervous feeling that normally simmers just below the surface whenever I'm around her started to bubble and steam. Just a look from her made my fingers tingle with the desire to touch her. My body was reacting to her presence and I took a step back to try to control myself. Maura stepped towards me and completely erased the distance that I was trying to establish. She reached into my hair and said,

"You have such beautiful hair." She moved even closer and I could feel her breath on my lips. Her hand massaged my scalp and she kissed the corner of my mouth. I turned into the kiss and my lips found hers.


	15. Chapter 15

**Something short and sweet. Forgive the lack of updates... These two are still digging each other, and beginning to feel a bit more comfortable. More fluff to come! **

* * *

Maura's hand moved from my head to my neck where she continued to massage gently, and kissed me with an unexpected gentleness. Her soft lips barely touched mine and I leaned further into her, wanting more. My hands went to her hips and and she stepped towards me, her breasts coming into contact with mine. I felt her smile into the kiss before she said,

"Your height advantage is greatly diminished tonight."

"Those heels and my bare feet put us just about even."

"Should I take them off?" She asked between kisses to my jaw.

"Not yet."

Maura put her arms around my neck and kissed me deeply before opening herself to me, allowing me to dictate the intensity of the kiss. My tongue moved against hers as I gripped her ass with both hands. She nearly threw herself into me, her body forcing me backwards. I moaned into her mouth and pulled her towards my room, needing to get to the bed as quickly as possible. Maura's hands were all over me, from my neck down to my chest before going under my tank top and sliding around to my back. I could feel goosebumps forming along my waist where she lightly moved her fingers back and forth. When I opened my eyes I couldn't help but notice her hard nipples through the thin fabric of her shirt. She looked into my eyes for a moment before pressing her lips to mine again. I slid my hands slowly from her butt around her waist, and up over her stomach to her full breasts. Hard nipples poked through her shirt into my palms and Maura moaned and pressed her fingernails into my lower back.

I reached for Maura's hips and guided her to the bed, never separating our lips from each other. She laid down and grabbed my tank top, pulling me down on top of her, before using her grip to pull the shirt over my head. Her hands went to my stomach, scratching lightly downward until she reached the button of my jeans. I watched her eyes following her hands over my torso, and felt my arousal increase at the look on her face. When her eyes met mine again she smiled sweetly and brought a hand to my face. Her fingertips stroked along my face from my temple to jaw. My lips parted into a grin when her thumb ran over them.

We stayed in that position for a few moments, me propped on my elbows and Maura on her back under me. Her hand on my face remained there, her thumb slowly moving over my lips to my cheek. Her other hand similarly stroking my back. I lowered myself to kiss her dimple and shifted to place a hand over her heart, before chasing her pulse through a tender spot on her neck with my lips. She moaned when I sucked there, and her fingers pressed harder into my flesh.

Sitting back on my heels, my hands moved over her body, from her shoulders to her breasts, and down over her stomach to unbuckle her belt. Maura rested her hands on my thighs and watched me unbuckle her belt and unbutton her jeans. She lifted her hips when I grabbed the waistband, and obvious indication of her desire. I slipped her heels and pants from her body and slowly slid my hands up her legs, from her ankles to her hips until I got to her shirt. Maura sat up and peeled her shirt off before latching her mouth to my neck and quickly unbuttoning my jeans, pushing them until they stopped at my knees. Maura put her hand in my hair and guided us both down to mattress and nudged my pants down with her feet until I could kick them away. A quiet sigh escaped me as I felt her warm skin touch mine, only obstructed by skimpy underclothes.

I reached under her to unclasp her bra and pulled the straps down her arms, kissing from her chin, down a straight line. My lips and tongue trailed between her breasts, over her toned stomach. I gently bit around her navel and my lips felt the rough fabric of the lace concealing the source of the warmth I was seeking. I kissed her through her panties and heard a hum, before a gasp sounded when the friction the garment added to a stroke of my tongue caught her by surprise. I just barely nibbled at her lips through the panties until she pushed my head away with a groan and shoved her underwear away. I pulled them from her legs and removed my own bra and boyshorts before laying between her spread legs, and kissing her passionately, our bodies meeting, contours and angles yielding to each other.

I braced myself on my right arm and used my left hand to touch her. From her face to her neck, over the sharp edge of a collarbone, to the soft fullness of her breast, where I squeezed gently and then pinched the straining nipple. She moaned into my mouth and pushed her tongue against mine harder. I pulled away from the kiss to lavish the left side of her body with my mouth. Her hands gripped around my sides and pulled me closer until we were pressed against each other, and she wrapped her legs around mine. The wetness I felt between her spread legs spurred me on and I suddenly wanted, needed to feel as much of that slick moisture as I could. I wanted it all over me and a moan left my lips without permission. I pulled away from Maura to quickly kiss down her body again before zeroing in on the swollen pink center between her legs.

Maura cried out when I licked from her opening, between her inner lips. I repeated that movement, sliding my tongue through her without giving attention to the areas that I knew she wanted me to, enjoying the frustrated groans she made. I pushed the tip of my tongue into her clenching opening and she moaned out, "Yeeessss, Jaaaannneee."

My name sounded so good, I had to hear more. I slid my tongue fully inside of her, making it as firm as I could. Maura's stomach clenched under my hand that laid there, and she held her breasts with both hands, squeezing and massaging them.

"Mmmmm… Yes. God… Yes…" Maura gasped and moaned, encouraging me to keep thrusting my tongue inside of her. Her hips worked under me, gently pushing towards my mouth. I pulled my tongue back into my mouth to drink from her, lapping at her opening, and moved my right hand from her stomach to her chest. She covered her breast with my hand and grabbed my wrist to keep it planted there. When my tongue finally circled her clit Maura turned her head away and whimpered. I kept teasing her, my tongue starting at her weeping enterance and licking up though soft folds and around her clit, but never putting adequate pressure on the tiny throbbing point.

"Jaaannnee… Oohhh, Jannnee…" Words seem to fail her but the look on her face and the grip around my wrist clearly called for more. My lips closed around her clit and I slowly spun my tongue around it. I sucked it into my mouth and released it, before widening my tongue over her and laying broad strokes all over her pussy. She panted and squirmed as her hips rocked against my face. I massaged her breast with my right hand and rubbed and squeezed her thigh with my left, and eagerly kissed and sucked her. I softly nibbled her clit, cautiously using my teeth on her sensitive flesh. "A-aahhhh, God… Jane!" She started to gasp.

Maura's back arched off the bed and she intertwined our fingers together. The leg I wasn't holding flexed until her left foot was flat on the mattress, right next to my head. When I looked up at her I saw her chest heaving, one hand gripping mine tightly, the other pinching and pulling a hard nipple. Her head was tilted backwards, and I was torn between the desire to see her face and the want to feel her hot wetness all over my own face.

She let go of my hand and grabbed a fistful of rumpled sheets when I lengthened the strokes of my tongue. From the source of the slick fluid to the top and sides of her soft mound, I kissed, sucked, and bit. I held Maura around her hips with my left arm placed my right hand over her pelvis and sucked firmly on her clit. "Jannnee, pleasseee…" She cried out, begging for release. As I pushed my face further into her she wrapped her right leg around me and flexed against my mouth. I could feel her trembling under me as she began to unravel. She made a strained whining sound and when I flicked my tongue over her clit and nibbled it with my lips, her orgasm hit her hard. "Mmmmhmm oh God… Jane… Aahhhh… JAANNNNEEEE!" Her back sharply arched, and my arm anchoring her tightened further. Her center thrust repeatedly against my face and I held her tight, while continuing to suck and lick her. Maura fell to the bed, totally spent, and one of her hands lazily dropped to my head as her legs both relaxed. I drank from her until there was nothing left.


	16. Chapter 16

**Another short chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Also big thanks for reviews and PMs nudging me along! **

**Another sweet, smutty entry. Badass Jane is a total softy for Maura, and the feels are real in this chapter.**

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Maura fell asleep after kissing me and greedily tasting herself from my mouth. I was ass naked in my kitchen drinking a glass of water when she woke up from her brief nap. I could hear her muttering quietly as I took two glasses into my bedroom. Maura smiled widely at me as I handed water to her. She was sitting up in my bed, with the covers pulled up around her. Her hair was wild and her makeup mostly rubbed away. I wanted to take her picture, to never forget how she looked in that moment.

"Thank you." Her voice was still a little raspy.

I rounded the bed and sat up against the pillows. "I think about you almost every time I drink water now." I chuckled as I spoke, "Since you're always reminding me to hydrate and all…"

"Mmm. As you know, water is the most essential substance that we have to manually enter into our bodies."

I watched her drink from her glass, elegant as always, and wondered which of those individual drops of water I would eventually pull out of her. Sweat. The gushing fluid that lingered on my face. Would it be this same water, reappearing in the form of another fluid in my bed that same night?

"Yeah... Water…" I eventually replied. "I could hear you talking to yourself just now. What do the experts say about that?" I teased her with a smirk.

"It is actually a very common habit that many people have, even intermittently. I'm sure I've seen you mumbling to yourself while in the midst of doing that gumshoe thing you do."

I laughed, knowing she was absolutely correct, "Yeah, all good cops talk to themselves. Sometimes you gotta say stuff out loud to see where you're going."

Maura tilted her head and squinted at me for a moment, and pursed her lips before smiling sweetly.

"What? What did I say?" I asked, reflexively returning her smile.

"You're just… You say things that make no logical sense. And they somehow make perfect sense at the same time." She paused for a beat and lightly shook her head. "Its perplexing. Its also rather endearing… Come here."

I reached to place my glass on my nightstand before leaning into Maura. She pulled me tightly to her until I was pressed against her again, my weight fully on her beneath me. Her face looked thoughtful, like she was trying to interpret her own thoughts. Like whatever was going through her mind wasn't quite figured out yet. One of her hands rested lightly on my cheek and her eyes passed over my face. She looked like she was looking for something.

I kissed her as softly as I knew how to, my lips touching hers with feather-light pressure. I wished I had words to answer the questions that I knew she was sorting through. I kissed her cheekbones, just under her eyes, and moved to lay on my side as to not crush her. I needed to say something. I had to say _something _to reassure her. To communicate to her that I just wanted her to feel as comfortable with me as I feel with her. That silly little things make me think about her, and then smile, and then think about her smile, and that it starts a weird cycle of me looking goofy as hell at random times. All because of her.

I wanted to spill my guts, but I was afraid of scaring her away, afraid of jinxing myself and this happy bubble by speaking my thoughts aloud. What if her reaction is negative? Maura stroked my eyebrows and down the slope of my nose with her fingertips, her head propped on her other hand. "You're frowning. What's wrong, Jane?"

I shook my head and reached to pull her closer, squeezing her in a horizontal hug. "Nothing's wrong. Just thinking."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I put my face in her neck and said, "Maybe. I don't know yet."

Maura ran her fingers through my hair, a silent comfort that I needed in that moment. I wanted to tell her everything, including how scared I felt about telling her.

"Maura?" I mumbled into her neck.

"Yes, Jane."

"You make my head hurt." Her hand stopped in my hair. "And I really like you. And I'm not crazy, right, but this is fucking crazy. This is unlike anything that I've ever experienced."

I pulled away to look in her eyes and still held her body to mine. Her face looked tense. I wasn't saying this right.

"This is your first time at my place, and I never want you to leave this bed. I'm hungry, I was hungry three hours ago, and you brought dinner. And as much as I enjoy sharing meals with you, I don't want to have to take my hands off of your body… Not even to eat. And I enjoy food, ya know, and I'm really hungry and I know you got something good and healthy for dinner. But I can't eat and hold you at the same time, and holding you is winning. And I sound like a fucking mental patient…"

Maura just looked at me with her eyes widening and narrowing at intervals. I lowered my eyes by the end of my little speech, embarrassed by my strange outburst.

"Nevermind, Maura… How'd I manage to get my foot in my mouth without letting go of you?"

Her hands went back into my hair and she kissed me passionately, pushing me to lie on my back and leaning her body down onto mine. She whispered in my ear.

"Seeing you all mushy and flustered, Jane… It makes me want you so badly." She kissed and nibbled my ear. "You have no idea how much the things you say affect me." She painted my neck with bites and tongue strokes until she reached my chest. I felt teeth around my nipple for less than a second before her mouth closed around it. Maura moved quickly down my torso, biting my stomach and raking her nails from my chest to hip bones. She sucked hard against ticklish spots and blew a cool stream over the damp and reddening flesh.

I twitched and groaned, feeling such conflicting sensations on areas Maura had mapped. She knew where and how to touch me. Arousal flowed between us, and her energy was electric. Maura kissed across my thigh and bit down when my muscles flexed, making me hiss and moan, while she brought a hand to my center and teased my opening. She suddenly sucked my clit into her hot mouth and entered me with two fingers. I grunted and my hips jerked, responding to the force she used, not expecting her movements. She flicked her tongue all through my sensitive lips, over and around my clit, and slowly fucked me with her hand. My left arm went over my head and my hand fisted a pillow, the other hand went between my legs to hold myself open for Maura's mouth. She didn't hesitate to go harder. Her mouth closed over my pussy and she pushed a third finger into me, drawing a loud moan from me.

"Fuuucckk… Mauraaa." My right hand went into her hair and grabbed a handful of silky blond tresses. I could feel my orgasm pulsing like sonar deep within my core. My stomach felt warm and my legs shook. Maura put her thumb on my clit and rubbed while she moved up my body. Her wet mouth left kisses in a trail until she bit the side of one breast and licked up my neck before i felt her tongue in my mouth. Her lips were coated in my wetness. She sucked my tongue into her mouth and pumped in and out of my pussy in a firm and slow rhythm until I couldn't breathe. The weight of Maura's body grounded me when I could have lost my sense of gravity. Heat radiated from between us, growing in intensity and threatening my self control.

My eyes were tightly shut and one arm wrapped around Maura's back. My right hand gripped the sheet as my pussy clenched hard around nimble fingers. My eyes were shut and my breath abruptly choked in my throat. Maura's body was against mine, her warm breath on my face. She kept stroking in and out of me.

"Open your eyes... " Maura panted with effort. "Jane, look at me." Her voice was gentle through the command.

I opened my eyes and for a moment, my brain seemed frozen in focus on her face. A sweet smile pulled at her lips and her eyes bored into mine. The eye contact threw me into climax. I couldn't contain the strained sounds coming from me.

"Ooohhh GOD! Maaauuuurraaa!" I tried to keep my eyes open but my whole body seemed to clench. Both of my arms were around Maura's back, grabbing warm flesh and digging my fingers in whatever part of her I could. I was overtaken by the tingle and throb that started in my core and radiated through my body. My spine burned. My toes curled. Tears leaked from my eyes. Maura had cracked me open.

She worked me through my orgasm and gently rubbed my clit until I released her fingers from within me. Soft murmurs eventually could be heard over the pounding of my heart.

"I'm here, Jane. You're okay, baby."

My body had gone limp after the surge of my powerful orgasm had subsided. I was totally spent and incredibly vulnerable, and just wanted to be held. Maura looked at me with soft eyes and I knew that she knew that we had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed. She shifted her body to lay on her side and pulled me into her. She kissed my face and told me I was beautiful.


End file.
